“There is no good and evil, there is only power and those too weak to seek it.”
Ireland awoke this morning to news of the third Presidential debate, the blows, the memes, the barrage of twitter streams. As ever there was public disbelief at Trump’s comments and the well-established theory that Clinton is a robot did a lap around the internet sphere.
But unless you are dedicated to the drama of US politics you may have missed some of the debate’s intricacies, one woman who didn’t was J.K Rowling. The Harry Potter author has been known previously to use Twitter as an outlet for Potter tidbits and more recently for her own human rights causes and political beliefs.
While she is reportedly in Argentina Rowling was watching the debate and shooting out zingers to her 8.5 million followers. The first came when Trump attacked Clinton over employment and what he considered to be a lack of growth, he referred specifically to the decline in manufacturing he’d witnessed in the United States;
“We’re not making things anymore, relatively speaking, our product is pouring in from China, pouring in from Vietnam, pouring in from all over the world. I’ve visited so many communities, this has been such an incredible education for me, Chris. I’ve gotten to know so many — I’ve developed so many friends over the last year. And they cry when they see what’s happened. I pass factories that were thriving 20, 25 years ago and because of the bill that her husband signed and she blessed a hundred percent, it is just horrible what’s happened to these people in these communities”
Rowling called him out straight away;
'I've developed so many friends.'
Humans 'make' friends, Donald. They 'make' them.#debate
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 20, 2016
When one commenter responded with a sassy ‘ you know you don’t have to watch this’, Rowling retrieved some Conradian wisdom and in true style responded with this;
Ah, but I live by Joseph Conrad's words:
'Facing it, always facing it. That's the way to get through. Face it.' https://t.co/HiPcfurUFH
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 20, 2016
Rowling’s debate round up was poignant because as much as we tweet and laugh and face palm this presidential debate there is little we can do other than watch America’s population decide who will be the world’s most powerful leader.
Well, there you have it. A highly intelligent, experienced woman just debated a giant orange Twitter egg. Your move, America. #debate
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 20, 2016
Your move America.
While she was getting Osama, you were hosting Celebrity Apprentice. #debatenight #everythingyouneedtoknow pic.twitter.com/t86l1GqxTp
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) October 20, 2016
Let’s hope it’s a good one.
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