Five Things
I'm allegedly on vacation.
George Washington, the foundingist founding father, was no father.
We’ve had childless presidents—and far more presidents have been bad fathers. Republicans, grasping at straws, are ignoring all that in order to argue that Kamala Harris’s lack of biological children renders her unfit for the presidency.
On a related note, I wrote that we parentify the presidents because we crave stability. Harris offers that. Trump does not.
Wallpaper: A love story(?)
I’m new to wallpaper but I’ve yet to see one inspired by a love story. From the website (edited and condensed):
The year is 1927. The place, Rapallo, Italy. This is the setting of a brief yet fervent affair between the 17-year-old, French born Isadore and Captain De Bortoli, one which began and ended abruptly. According to the story, the young Isadore was so tormented by his love for another man that he walked into the sea. The Captain never recovered from this loss and finally after years of agonising mourning, followed suit.
He left behind a wife (but no children) who had known about her husband's secret. In acknowledgment of the love she was unable to give him, she planted two burgundy bougainvilleas along the stairs leading up to Sanctuary of Our Lady of Montallegro.
Meacham’s first exit interview
For Isaac Chotiner, this is restrained.
Also relevant: “All the peculiar elements of the affluent, educated worldview are here: the reduction of history to a struggle between moral categories, the deletion of working-class movements from the story of progress, the distaste for economic grievance, the obsessive focus on the executive office, and the score-keeping of racist remarks, as though wickedness.”
The devil works hard but a presidential historian in 2024 works harder
A lot can change in a couple of weeks. On Friday, July 19th, I argued that President Biden must do more than step aside to save his legacy. Two days later, Biden announced that he would not be seeking reelection.
Since then, Vice President Kamala Harris has become the presumptive nominee, TikTok is now exclusively coconut content, and J.D. Vance has not had sexual relations with that couch.
Vice President Harris has yet, as I’d advised in my essay, called on Congress to pass the "Donald J. Trump Gun Violence Prevention Act,” but her campaign has been making made many good choices—like swapping out “democracy” in favor “freedom.”
I’ve been excited to offer context and commentary…even though I’m technically on vacation. Expect more when I’m back at my desk in a week.
On an unrelated note
See you soonish! In the meantime, you can find me on Twitter and Instagram and my books on Bookshop, Amazon, and your local bookstore or library. If you’d like me to sign or personalize my books, purchase copies from Oblong.