Trail Mix

Attribution: Nobel Prize by Marian Kamensky, Austria

Attribution: Climate Change by John Darkow, Columbia Missourian

Hope and pray that Bob Woodward’s next book after November 5th will be titled “Peace.”

The most recent one may help to deliver said relief if headlines like this move the electorate:

Woodward book reveals Trump’s calls with Putin and Biden’s private remarks on Obama and Netanyahu (msn.com)

I watched them both. Donald Trump rambling on about himself on right-wing channels. And Kamala Harris stepping up to tough questions on 60 Minutes. (An interview he dodged, which CBS duly noted.)

I’ll save you some time. The only one worth watching:

Milton Watch: A Chilling Warning
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor: “I can say this without any dramatization whatsoever: If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you are going to die.”

So I asked my Windows AI feature this question:

“What are the reviews of Trump’s recent speeches at campaign rallies”

Got quite a hefty response:

Answer

Recent discussions, as reflected in various news analyses and expert opinions up to October 6, 2024, have increasingly focused on former President Donald Trump’s speech patterns during his public appearances and rallies. Here’s a summary based on the latest insights:

• Nature of Speeches: Trump’s speeches have been described as longer, more rambling, angrier, and less focused compared to his earlier public addresses. Observers and analysts have noted an increase in profanity, a fixation on the past, and moments of apparent confusion or tangential thoughts, where he shifts abruptly between unrelated topics.
• Cognitive Concerns: Several experts in psychology, neurology, and linguistics have commented on these changes. There’s a suggestion that these could be indicative of cognitive decline, with observations including increased tangentiality*, simple sentence structures, and a significant focus on past events rather than future plans. However, these are speculative and based on public behavior rather than clinical diagnosis.
• Public and Expert Reaction: Posts on X and various articles highlight a growing concern or at least a discussion about Trump’s age and mental acuity. Some former allies and supporters have expressed worries about his coherence and mental state, comparing his current speech patterns to earlier years.
• Political Implications: The debate over Trump’s mental fitness has political ramifications, especially as he remains a central figure in American politics. Critics argue that his speech patterns might affect voter perception regarding his capability to hold office again, while supporters often interpret his style as a sign of his unfiltered, authentic communication, dismissing claims of decline as politically motivated attacks.
• Age and Health Perception: Polls and public sentiment, as captured in various reports, show that a significant percentage of voters consider Trump’s age to be a concern, paralleling similar worries about other aging politicians. This concern has become more pronounced as Trump has aged, with some polls indicating a shift in perception after debates or public speaking events.
• Contextual Considerations: It’s worth mentioning that Trump’s speaking style has always been unconventional, which might complicate assessments of his cognitive state based solely on his public speeches. Additionally, while some see his behavior as evidence of decline, others view it within the spectrum of his long-standing persona as a public figure known for breaking conventional political norms.

Given these points, the discussion around Trump’s rambling speeches intertwines with broader conversations about age, mental fitness, and political viability in high office, reflecting both genuine concern and strategic political discourse. However, without a formal medical evaluation, these observations remain in the realm of public and expert speculation.

*Tangentiality: A disturbance in the thought process that causes the individual to relate excessive or irrelevant detail that never reaches the essential point of a conversation or the desired answer to a question.

For a spot-on detailing of Trump’s cognitive decline, read and share this exceptional New York Times article:
Trump’s Speeches, Increasingly Angry and Rambling, Reignite the Question of Age. With the passage of time, the 78-year-old former president’s speeches have grown darker, harsher, longer, angrier, less focused, more profane and increasingly fixated on the past, according to a review of his public appearances over the years. — FREE LINK