CHRIS CRUCIAL: 1 *very* good sentence for Kamala Harris

PLUS: The Trump Bible!

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1. The fundamentals of the economy are strong. Really.

The New York Times story on Friday’s September jobs report contains this line:

“In fact, the report reinforced that by many measures, the job market is as healthy as it has ever been.”

Here’s a live look inside Kamala Harris’ campaign when they read that:

The numbers are, well, the numbers. And they are very good. Consider:

• 254,000 jobs were created in September — well above experts’ estimates

  

• The unemployment rate dipped to 4.1%

• Wage growth was up .4% as compared to August

Those numbers complicate Donald Trump’s argument that the Biden-Harris administration has driven the economy into a ditch and that, unless he is elected, the country will experience an economic recession or even a depression.

Trump, usually effusive in the wake of a bad jobs report, was silent on Truth Social following this one.

Now, before I go any further, it’s important to note that the sort of economic indicators cited above are not, typically, the sort of thing that the average voter follows closely.

After all, most economists have been suggesting that the overall economic outlook is solid for a while now — and lots and lots of people still say that they think things are bad and getting worse.

What explains that discrepancy? It’s hard to know for sure but inflation has impacted the cost of everyday goods from milk to eggs — and many people conflate those rising prices with the health of the economy, writ large.

This chart from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on the Consumer Price Index shows that while prices are on their way down from 2022 highs, they remain higher than a few years ago:

What the Harris people have to hope is that the attention given to this jobs report — and the general sense among experts that the economy is actually doing well! — starts to edge out the cost of, say, milk when it comes to how people consider their finances and the finances of the country.

To be clear: Trump, in the face of these numbers, is not going to suddenly stop talking and acting like the economy is terrible. He’s never let facts get in the way of a good story — and he’s not going to start 30 days before an election.

But, for the small fraction of people who are undecided about this election, could a positive jobs report — and a resultant positive perception shift — get them off the fence and voting for Harris?

I wish I knew! But make no mistake: If the jobs report today was bad, everyone and their brother would be insisting how bad this news was for Harris’ chances. So, isn’t the opposite then also true?

2. The Trump Bible + Oklahoma

You remember the Trump Bible, right? For a mere $59.99, you could get a copy of a Trump-y Bible — complete with “copies of the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence and the Pledge of Allegiance, as well as a handwritten chorus of the famous [Lee] Greenwood song.” (The song, in case you have been on another planet, is “God Bless the USA.”)

It was one of many examples of Trump trying to monetize — for his own personal gain — his status as the Republican nominee for president. On an unrelated note, can I interest you in a $100,000 Trump watch?

And now, in Oklahoma, the Trump Bible may well be used in all of the state’s public schools.

Here’s the Daily Oklahoman:

Superintendent Ryan Walters isn’t just talking about buying Bibles for schools. 

Bids opened Monday for a contract to supply the state Department of Education with 55,000 Bibles. According to the bid documents, vendors must meet certain specifications: Bibles must be the King James Version; must contain the Old and New Testaments; must include copies of the Pledge of Allegiance, Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights; and must be bound in leather or leather-like material.

A salesperson at Mardel Christian & Education searched, and though they carry 2,900 Bibles, none fit the parameters. 

But one Bible fits perfectly: Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the U.S.A. Bible, endorsed by former President Donald Trump and commonly referred to as the Trump Bible. They cost $60 each online, with Trump receiving fees for his endorsement. 

What a coincidence! What are the chances!

Ryan Walters, who is the state Superintendent of Public Instruction, is a Republican. (This will stun you.) He was an early supporter of Trump’s in the race — saying in a video announcing the endorsement that he “fully stand[s] behind President Trump, and I am excited to see him dismantle the Department of Education.”

And, why, you might ask, would Walters want 55,000 Bibles in Oklahoma public school classrooms? Again, the Oklahoman:

Though Walters has frequently said he wants Bibles in every classroom, he has also clarified publicly that he wants them in classes where the Bible might apply to academic standards, such as history or literature. The request for 55,000 copies doesn’t fit either scenario; there are only 43,000 classroom teachers in the state, and many fewer teaching just history or literature.

If you do the math — 55,000 Bibles each costing $60 — the cost for the state of Oklahoma comes out to $3.3 million.

Good times. Goooooood times.

3. Friday AMA

Every Friday, I do a livestream on my YouTube channel. It’s fun! If you missed it, you can check it out below. It’s actually in 2 parts because halfway through my audio just totally cut out! And don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t yet!

NOTABLE QUOTABLE

“They want a show. They want two hours.” — Donald Trump, resisting advice to shorten his campaign rallies

ONE GOOD CHART

I am 6’3”. The few, the proud, the brave.

SONG OF THE DAY

The Smile’s new record is out! The Smile is a side project of Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood — and if you like Radiohead, you will like this. The album is called “Cutouts” and this is “Bodies Laughing” off of it.

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