Saying goodbye to 2024
The years go by way too quickly these days. So there’s that.
But 2024 has been a year of great surprises and reversals, many of them unexpectedly good.
These surprises and reversals started approximately at the year’s midway point. I date the very first as the Trump/Biden debate on June 27. It’s not that I expected Biden to do well, but I didn’t expect him to do so abysmally. And I didn’t expect the MSM to admit it, but the fact that they did admit it indicated that perhaps the plan always had been to ditch him after the debate. But plan or no plan, the ditching is what occurred – on July 21 – which was the third surprise.
You might think I skipped surprise number two. But no, that happened on July 13 in Butler, PA: the near-assassination of Trump. It was no surprise that someone would want to kill him. But it was a surprise that the Secret Service was so negligent (or worse) at protecting him, and an incredible surprise how close the would-be assassin came to achieving his aim but how a serendipitous turn of the head at the last minute meant that Trump only got wounded in the ear. If you saw that in a movie, it would seem highly improbable. And yet it’s what happened, and it made people even more sympathetic towards him.
Surprise number four was concurrent with number three: the anointment of Kamala Harris as nominee, without an open convention. She didn’t seem like the best candidate and certainly not the most popular at the time, although in retrospect I can’t say there was another good alternative.
Surprise number five was how truly terrible she was as a candidate. Again, I didn’t expect much, but I expected her to be able to be fairly coherent in interviews. She was not – although it didn’t matter to tried-and-true Democrat voters. Interesting to me is that fact that, among the Harris voters I know of whom I asked the question “did you watch any of her interviews?”, the answer was “no.” Why bother? They knew they weren’t voting for Trump.
Then there was another failed Trump assassination attempt on September 15 which was foiled. Shall we call that number six? And then, on September 17 we had number seven, the exploding Hezbollah pagers, followed closely by number seven and a half, the exploding walkie-talkies. Both were followed by a series of amazing Israeli feats which I’ll lump together as number eight: the destruction of most of Hezbollah’s armaments, the assassination of Nasrallah and of Sinwar, and the destruction of many of Iran’s armaments. Whether or not I have the order of things right, that was the general direction: again, right out of a very fanciful movie.
Later on we had two great PR stunts by Trump: his stint at McDonald’s and his time as a garbage man. We’ll call those number nine.
Followed by number ten: the Trump victory in the election. The surprise was the scope and clarity of it, plus the fact that the results were known on election night itself.
So tonight, let’s make a toast to an even better 2025!
neo:
It’s all true!
I’m not tired of all the winning…
So tonight, let’s make a toast to an even better 2025!
Amen to that Neo! Blessings upon blessings to all in this little community.
It’s nice to approach the new year feeling optimistic. Cheers, all!
Let us remember that billionaire Trump volunteered for service to America as he stepped off the escalator in Trump Tower in 2016.
He volunteered.
He has withstood attempts on his life, his assets, by evildoers within and without the White House and FBI, all Democrats like Bragg.
But Judge Merchan, Jack Smith, Bragg, and Gov. Hochul get my donkey ear awards. Biden the feeble demented but still corrupt was voted in by people who are ignorant, stupid open border lovers. Their chickens will come home to roost.
But God has blessed America, land that I love….A great anthem.
Great summary, Neo, thanks! It has been quite a year.
If you saw that in a movie, it would seem highly improbable.
Day of the Jackal. Though the bullet completely missed De Gaulle when he leaned down slightly to put a medal on someone (as I recall). I suppose it did seem a bit improbable that a trained sniper would have missed like that. Crooks wasn’t a trained sniper, so it’s maybe a little less improbable, though nicking Trump in the ear was highly unlikely.
We, in the Shirehome household, are starting 2025 on a wonderful note. I have mentioned that my Wife of 56 years has Cancer. Long year of Chemo, followed by the month of Dec in Den, stating at a Residence Hotel, while she had CAR-T Immune Therapy. Well last Fri, she had a PET Scan.
She is in TOTAL REMISSION
Still will have testing and monitoring for the next yr, have to take 2 drugs for the next yr.
She is having some Heart issues, hopefully caused by the drugs she has been taking.
She is in TOTAL REMISSION
SHIREHOME:
TOTALLY COOL!
Was it really a surprise that Harris was given the nomination once Biden unexpectedly dropped out? For me, the bigger surprise would be if the Democrats had gone to a national primary or an open convention. Similarly, Harris being a poor candidate wasn’t much of a surprise. If she showed real articulateness that would have been a shock. Things that would have been a surprise for any other politician (skipping the Al Smith Dinner, walking out on the Teamsters, going on “Call Me Daddy”) weren’t unusual or unexpected for Harris. Whichever candidate won it would have been a surprise, though. Harris, because she was such a poor candidate. Trump, because of how determined his opponents had been to crush and obliterate him.
Shirehome: What wonderful news! Happy New Year!
SHIREHOME:
Congratulations!
Jimmy:
I made the comparison to Day of the Jackal shortly after the shooting happened.
And in fact in the movie it did seem improbable.
Great movie.
Was it really a surprise that Harris was given the nomination once Biden unexpectedly dropped out?
Abraxas:
We will find out for sure later, but I still read that move as Biden’s FU to Obama, Pelosi et al. for couping him. They expected him to step down, but not to anoint his successor.
It took Obama almost a week later to congratulate Harris and get behind her.
I suspect there was much scrambling behind the scenes to find a better candidate and a way to redirect the campaign funds already raised for Biden.
When they couldn’t, they bit the bullet and tried to make a silk purse out of Kamala’s ear. So to speak.
Shirehome–such wonderful news. Blessings!
”…plus the fact that the results were known on election night itself.”
I think this was the biggest surprise of the entire year for me.
”She is in TOTAL REMISSION”
What wonderful news!! A very Happy New Year to the two of you!
Wonderful, Shirehome! Hooray for you all!
As to that moment in Day of the Jackal when the Jackal misses de Gaulle by inches, I was going to quote the somewhat amusing book explanation, but my copy of it is out on loan to a coworker at the moment. Ah, well, no matter.
Shirehome,
Wonderful news and prayers for your wife’s continued recovery.
Shirehome…outstanding start to 2025. Praying the good news keeps coming!
How wonderful, SHIREHOME! God bless . . .
Such beautiful news, SHIREHOME!!
Thanks for sharing SHIREHOME. Wonderful news. May you both go from health to health.
@ Shirehome – congratulations to you and your wife, and may the coming year be full of blessings for you!
PS I love your nom – here’s one way that it resonates with me:
https://accordingtohoyt.com/2024/12/31/we-win-they-lose/#comment-1003236
Not an easy task, but worth it.