January 25, 2023
Commentary
Kamala's Cackles Raisin' Hackles
- by Adam Buckman , Featured Columnist, August 8, 2024
Fun-loving Kamala Harris apparently enjoys a good laugh, but the GOP is serious about turning her laugh into a liability.
This is a joke, right? No, it is not.
When President Biden quit the campaign, the GOP found itself grasping for an issue to replace the talking point that would have dominated the Trump campaign right up until Election Eve -- namely, President Biden’s cognitive fitness for office.
But not anymore. The GOP’s new issue? The style of the vice president’s laughter. In addition to being lambasted on “Hannity” and lampooned on “Gutfeld!,” former President Trump has taken up the cackle cudgel to nickname Harris “Laughin’ Kamala.”
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“I call her Laughin’ Kamala. You ever watched her laugh? She’s crazy,” Trump declared at a Michigan campaign stop on July 20. “You know, you can tell a lot by a laugh. She’s nuts.”
Coincidentally, “laughin’ ” rhymes with “Laugh-In,” a show laughin’ Kamala may have enjoyed in the formative years of her early childhood.
She was born in 1964. The show aired from 1968 to 1973. Whether or not she laughed with “Laugh-In,” the adult Kamala is evidently a fan of TV comedy, particularly in late-night.
Indeed, she is practically a late-night regular, having guested on late-night shows 20 times in the last five years.
Her favorite stop: “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” on CBS. She has appeared on “Colbert” eight times, including participating in comedy sketches, according to Deadline.com.
That’s her in the above photo from CBS reacting uproariously to Colbert’s comedic capers on “The Late Show” in March 2023.
Laughin’ Kamala’s most recent late-night guest shot was on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on June 5.
But the laughs were limited, as the taping was reportedly disrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters who somehow gained entry to the “Kimmel” studio. It was the Veep’s third appearance on “Kimmel.”
The rest of night-owl Kamala’s late-night scorecard since 2019, according to Deadline: five times on “Late Night with Seth Myers” and two each on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “The Daily Show.”
Over the last half-dozen or so presidential election cycles, tours of the late-night shows have become de rigueur for candidates of both parties.
This time around, it’s a sure bet the vice president will turn up in the late-night hours, since she always seems to have a good time with the friendly and cordial late-night hosts.
For Trump, campaign stops are not likely in the cards on “Kimmel” and “Colbert,” since the ex-president and his campaign managers probably see the shows as hostile environments for him.
On the subject of laughs, Harris and Trump are polar opposites. She laughs, and he does not (or so it seems).
Perhaps the vice president can join in the nickname game. How about “dour Donald”?
Nobody cares about how she laughs. People care that when she is asked serious questions, she laughs. It's a sign of being unrprepared and not taking her responsibilities and the needs of the American people seriously. It doesn't make people feel good when she is asked a serious question and responds with laughter and dismissiveness.
But she's not giving interviews, so I guess there will be less opportunity to laugh at her laugh.
So Dan, I guess you are comparing her "lack of seriousness" to the ever-serious D. Trump. Has Trump ever answered a serious question in a way that showed cognition and understanding of the issue at hand? No ... all he does is call people by catchy names. So much for the "seriousness" of DJT.
Trump has no constituency but himself. Is that truly what you wish for?
@ Kenneth - critisicm of a candidate does not = endorsement of another.
You can't dispute what I said. Like him or hate him, Trump talks to anyone and everyone.
Harris hides from the press as never gives a serious interview - especially after her disaster with Lester Holt.
Kimmel isn't grilling her - she goes where it's easy.
Mr. Ciccone:
"critisicm of a candidate does not = endorsement of another"
>> Yes, but it's an either-or situation -- a zero sum game
"Trump talks to anyone and everyone"
>> None of it involving serious questions with on-topic answers
BTW, Biden left the race 2 1/2 weeks ago, No time yet for many interviews and press conferences for Harris. But, we'll have a debate coming up on September 10th. That should be interesting since Trump only knows how to lie in answer to any question or topic, that is when he's not shouting over the opponent and moderators.
@Kenneth - Harris has been Vice President for 3.5 years - she's failed time and time again in interviews. Please do not pretend that because she's only been in the race for 2 1/2 weeks that that somehow excuses her terrible performances.
Whataboutisms regarding Trump illustrates a willing blind eye to Harris' faults. Again, it's not about liking or disliking her laugh - it's that for 3.5 years and counting, she laughs when asked serious questions. Nobody else in the administration has such an immature response to serious questions when they sit down for an interview.
The press gaggle that follows her complains she won't give them interiews. If she's not prepared to answer tough questions after being Vice President for 3.5 years - why on earth would anyone think she's ready to be President - whether she's got a ridiculous laugh or not.
Mr. Ciccone:
Why on earth would anyone think Donald Trump should be president? It will be one or the other of them. I know my choice.