EMERGENCE: "I'm a scrappy kid from Youngstown!"

MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2026

We never back down from a fight: Very early Sunday morning, we got extremely lucky here on this sprawling campus.   

We'd already semi-watched some endless comments by the sitting president. He had delivered his endless remarks at a rally the day before. 

As it supplied full videotape, C-Span summarized thusly:

OCTOBER 24, 2026
Campaign 2026
President Trump Speaks at GOP Midterm Rally in Perry, GA

President Donald Trump held a midterm rally for Georgia Republicans in Perry, GA. He claimed that crime had reduced in multiple cities including Memphis and Washington, D.C. since took office and touted other achievements of the administration. He spoke against Somali immigrants including Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), and asked why the United States took "so many" immigrants from nations he deemed low-quality instead of "people from Norway, Sweden…Denmark?" He urged Georgians to elect U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) and oust Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), who he called "Pee-wee Herman."...

C-Span was being polite. You can watch the whole thing here. 

(You won't read about it in the New York Times. But it seems that something is wrong with the sitting president, a human being whose public statements and global behaviors are making less and less sense.)  

That endless stream of endless chatter had started at 3:39 a.m. We're not sure when we started watching, but the president's endless remarks seemed to go on forever. 

At 5:19 a.m., a second event went to air. We were surprised by what we saw. With C-Span supplying the videotape, we thought we saw an emergence:  

OCTOBER 24, 2026
Campaign 2026
Former President Obama Campaigns with Ohio Democratic Candidates in Cleveland

Former President Barack Obama, Ohio governor candidate Amy Acton (D), and U.S. Senate candidate Sherrod Brown (D) spoke at a midterm rally in Cleveland. Acton and Brown discussed affordability and their respective opponents, governor candidate Vivek Ramaswamy (R) and Sen. John Husted (R). Obama then spoke about the importance of voting for Brown and Acton. He also discussed current Trump administration policies...

Candidate Acton spoke first. She spoke for 17 minutes. 

We were surprised by her energetic, slightly hyper performance. With a bit of editing supplied by us, she started by saying this:   

Eric and I want to thank all of you from the bottom of our hearts for all the support, and all the love, you have shown us this past week, and every day on the trail. 

Thank you. Thank you.

[CHEERS] 

My name is Dr. Amy Acton—

[CHEERS]

I'm an Ohio girl through and through. I grew up in Youngstown.

[CHEERS]

It's the stuff of Bruce Springsteen songs...

We performed in Youngstown once. We have the scars to support this hopeful's fond assertion.

This emerging presence grew up there. She now explained what that meant:   

When I grew up, we didn't know what party you were in. We knew what union you were in!

[CHEERS]

We knew what branch of the military you served in, we knew where you worshipped. We knew what civic groups you were in. But the biggest thing we knew was that you had one another's back, and if it weren't for the tough, deeply resilient community I had, I wouldn't be here today

They had my back when I needed it most...

They had her back when she needed it most? The audience knew what she was talking about on this particular day.

We'll show you more of this candidate's messaging as the week proceeds. Eventually, though, she said this, addressing her opponent:   

In Ohio, we work hard and we watch out for one another. My opponent just doesn't get it. 

Mr. Ramaswamy, you are not just out of touch, you are out for yourself and you're a danger to my state. 

Apparently, there is no low to which you won't stoop. But look:

I'm a scrappy kid from Youngstown—

[CHEERS]

—and scrappy kids from Youngstown, we never back down from a fight!  

Good grief! We've been waiting, and waiting and waiting, to see someone emerge from nowhere and start talking like that on the trail.

Tomorrow: C-Span caller speaks