Seriously, Folks, When’s the Last Time You Felt This Damn Good?!

Did it involve ice cream? Puppies? A pedicure? All three?

Aug 27, 2024

It was just 37 days ago when this meme pretty much summed up how we were all feeling in the weeks after the Trump-Biden Debate Debacle:

Within seconds after President Biden began to answer the first question from Jake Tapper, he could not get the words out of his mouth! A horrified nation grabbed its collective sofa seat cushion and shouted a simultaneous “OH NO!! SOMEONE HELP HIM OFF THE STAGE!!”

It was too late. Slurring his words, losing his place, freezing to regain his balance and the middle of the nonsensical sentence he was in, a sad shell of his former self, Biden imploded in less time (44 seconds) than the Challenger (73 seconds). And all of us, in that instant, knew that the election was over, there would be no recovery from this, Trump would now return to the White House, our Democracy was over.

For three long weeks of agony we hung our heads and sulked. “Why Lord, why us?” To make it worse, Trump was then shot in the eartip and another prayer went up hoping he was ok, not hurt, not martyred. He then had a boisterous, whackadoodle Convention presided over by Hulk Hogan — and his base ate it up. Millions were re-inspired, and Trump surged ahead of Biden in the polls by 9 points.

Joe tried to recover in various interviews and speeches. He introduced Ukrainian President Zelensky as “President Putin” at a NATO summit, and later, at a press conference, he referred to Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump.” We turned off our TVs, we turned off all the lights, we sat in the dark, some of us guzzled wine out of a Costco box, and we saw the future of our country right there on the effing wall.

And then…

And then…

AND THENNNNNN…

A miracle.

After the worst three weeks of being an American since November of 2016, with all of us about to lose everything we hold dear, President Biden did something no unindicted politician ever does — voluntarily give up power! Step down for the good of the country! George Clooney, who had just raised $30 million for Biden’s campaign two weeks earlier, asked him very publicly to end his campaign. So did I, and I asked all of you to join us in this plea. A few dozen members of Congress joined in, too. And then, Pelosi.

At 1:46pm on July 21st — that’s just barely a month ago! — Joe Biden announced he was indeed putting the country ahead of himself and would end his campaign. He endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, as his replacement to be our next President — and an already anxiety-ridden nation held its breath.

Was she the right one? Didn’t she already run four years ago — and dropped out before the first primary vote was even taken? What exactly has she done as Vice President? America will NOT elect its SECOND Black president in just eight years! And look what happened the last time a woman ran!

And… and… and…

Jeez! Why are Democrats and Liberals such scaredy cats?! Enough, I say! I’ve met Kamala on a few occasions. I instantly liked her. I met her husband Doug and her stepdaughter, Ella. Such good people.

Although my first thought on July 21st was for her to really shake things up and break from the past and name a woman as her running mate. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan. People screamed “NO!” Talk about frightened Democrats! So my pick was another Midwestern hero Governor — Walz from Minnesota — and I asked all of you to send Harris a note and encourage her to not appoint another man who had compared pro-Palestinian protestors in Philly to the KKK, who paid hush money to silence sexual harassment allegations against one of his core cabinet members, and who was opposed by two dozen teachers’ groups for his support of private school vouchers — a key proposal from Project 2025.

The good news was I had also heard that behind the scenes in the White House, Kamala had made her feelings known that the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians in Gaza was unacceptable. Of course, she’s not the president, she currently holds no power, but I think it’s clear what her moral values are. She refused to attend Bibi’s hateful, insane speech to Congress last month. Instead she went to a sorority meeting. Burn! Trust me, this guy will never forget that.

So this is a long way for me to get to saying how I’m feeling these days — and I think it’s the same way most of you are feeling (except the cynics — and please stay cynical, we need you!):

I HAVE BEEN FLYING SO HIGH OVER THE MOON FOR THE WHOLE MONTH OF AUGUST! Crazy! Ridiculous!! My smile muscles seem frozen in place! I have not been this happy since the day I got to vote for a man who decided to put his middle name on the Presidential ballot, showing just how fearless he was:

I haven’t been this surprised since the day I fit into a t-shirt I wore when I was 35!:

I haven’t been this thrilled since Ben & Jerry’s released Stephen Colbert’s Americone Dream!:

I haven’t been this on fire since I first ran for public office at 18:

I haven’t been this certain that America still stands a chance since this day in 1974:

And now, I simply can't believe how suddenly the fates have changed — and are doing a 180 right in front of my eyes!

Two months ago, the results of our upcoming 2024 presidential election seemed to be a foregone conclusion, and a second Trump presidency seemed inevitable. But now — just 69 days before the November 5th election — I feel so hopeful that we are going to elect not just our first woman president, but our most progressive! Dem Party operatives just got a nervous twitch from me saying that. That’s cause they are too often the party that loses by winning. They have no clue of what I’ve been saying for years:

In the days since the Convention, Vice President Harris has been announcing things I’ve not seen reported in much of the media. She is going to increase taxes on the wealthy and corporations by a significant amount. She’s going to bring back the child tax credit — but by a better margin than Biden’s. Over a week ago she said first-time home buyers are going to get a check from the federal government for $25,000 to help with the down payment. And that her administration will tell companies the price they can charge consumers if it appears they are gouging us. Whoa. Lovers of greed and extreme profits are not going to like that! Sounds un-American! Thank God.

On this past Saturday morning, in the small rural Michigan town where I’m now from (year-round population: 15,000), an unexpected march took place. Upwards of a thousand people showed up! Great signs, flags (even a Palestinian flag!), all kinds of neighbors and Midwesterners. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a crowd this large here unless it was for MAGAheads. A local women’s group quickly organized this “walk for Kamala“ through the three-block downtown, passing by my apartment and, a few doors down, the nonprofit art house I run (this week we’re showing “Godfather” I & II; the Irish masterpiece, “Once“; the Cannes Palme d’Or winner “Triangle of Sadness” [a brutal satire of the 1%] and “The Shawshank Redemption”. Popcorn and pop is just $2.)

Stay excited my friends! Let’s keep the momentum going! We are unstoppable now.

— Michael

*Traverse City, Michigan, August 24, 2024, 72 days before the deluge.*

P.S. Please listen to my podcast (here) about this euphoria, especially if you don’t listen to podcasts. It won’t bite! I want you to hear my voice these days!

P.P.S. We still have to address the one stain on an otherwise spotless Democratic Convention: The Party’s total disrespect of Palestinian-Americans by not letting a single one of them speak on the stage. Shame! We, their allies, will not be silent about the slaughter in Gaza.

More to come in my upcoming Substacks and Podcasts.

Photos by: Bettmann Archive, Scott Wintrow via Getty Images

Michael Moore

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