In 1994, Kim Jong Il â the a debauched late North Korean leader â set a sporting record thatâll likely stand until the end of recorded time: He supposedly shot 38 under par during his very first round of golf, with a record 11 holes-in-one.
Unfortunately, the event wasnât televised, though it was reported, tongue-in-cheek fashion, by ESPN, on the dictatorâs death in 2011. Nor were there Western sports reporters on hand at the Pyongyang golf course when it took place. It seems North Korean state media was the only outlet that had firsthand reporting on the epic round of golf. And who wouldnât trust North Korean media?
Of all the preposterous lies Pyongyang has told about the Kim family, the 11 holes-in-one remains the most well-known, even if it isnât the most preposterous.
Similarly, the American left maintained an odd fascination with stories of former President Donald Trumpâs fudging of his golf score â as if were a dire sign of his ingrained perfidy. Heck, former Sports Illustrated scribe Rick Reilly wrote an entire book about it called (sigh) âCommander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump.â
(This was one of the more petty bones the left had to pick with the former president â one among many. Here at The Western Journal, we documented how the left tried to tar Trump with everything imaginable, including his ice cream habits. Weâll keep pointing out how the media and the Democrats pick on every little thing when it comes to Republicans. You can help by subscribing.)
âTrump doesnât just cheat at golf. He cheats like a three-card Monte dealer. He throws it, boots it, and moves it. He lies about his lies. He fudges and foozles and fluffs,â Reilly wrote, according to an excerpt published in Golf Magazine.
Reilly explained why he thought this was important: âI used to have this coach who told us, âHow you do one thing is how you do everything. You loaf in practice, youâre gonna loaf in the game. You cheat on your tests, youâre gonna cheat on your wife.ââ
Reillyâs not as active as he used to be, content-wise â but even if he decides to start churning out reams of it this week, I doubt heâs going to be calling out Vice President Kamala Harrisâ team on how they portrayed her Basketball skills.
If you believe Opal Vadhan, the veepâs personal aide, those skills are amazing. This was Vadhanâs tweet Wednesday, showcasing Harris hitting a shot in a suit and heels. As Fox News reported, Harris was at American University in D.C., marking the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the federal law against sex discrimination that revolutionized funding of collegiate womenâs sports programs:
âMadam @VP,â she tweeted, along with three Basketball emojis.
However, as the Republican National Committee noted, this wasnât exactly an accurate picture of what happened:
The full clip shows Harris, at times seeming unsure of how to even grip the ball, missing five short shots in a row before draining that one (after moving closer to the basket). Itâs painful to watch.
âNot gonna lie, I thought Kamala had better ball skills than this,â tweeted Clay Travis, impresario of sports website Outkick the Coverage.
Now, this isnât to poke fun at Harris for her ball skills; heaven knows Iâm bad enough at my weekly pickup game, and Iâm in shorts and Basketball shoes. Sheâs in high heels and a suit.
Still, if you want proof that Rick Reillyâs coach knew what he was talking about, youâve got it here.
The subtext of Opal Vadhanâs tweet was clear: Kamala Harris is such a girlboss that she hit a shot just like that. Isnât she doing great? Who wouldnât adore a veep thatâs casually killing it like this?
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Oh, wait â that was at least her sixth attempt at a shot most clumsy fourth-graders could hit in their Easter best in no less than three attempts? That doesnât look good. Why is Vadhan bragging? Would the Twitter world have noticed if Vadhan had just let the event pass without mention?
It could serve as the perfect metaphor for President Joe Bidenâs administration in general, but it fits Harris particularly well. The vice president was supposed to, essentially, serve not just as Bidenâs No. 2 but as his 1B â the heir apparent to a man who was a high-mileage 78 when he took office, someone who was ready to step in at a momentâs notice.
To use another sports metaphor, Harris has been a draft bust. Sheâs the one politician America dislikes more than Joe Biden â and that might factor into Biden deciding to run for another term, if just because he doesnât see any alternative that can beat whoever the Republicans nominate.
Thereâs a reason why we remember Kim Jong Ilâs outrageous lie that he scored 11 holes-in-one: It says everything we need to know about the man and his banana-less (and food-less) banana republic.
Harrisâ staffâs lie of omission isnât on that level, obviously â but it, too, says all we need to know about her failed vice presidency thus far.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
