Joe Biden is bringing back the front-porch campaign. It might work. (probably not)

Washington Post (democracy dies with democrats) ^ | 7/07/20 | Henry Olsen

[Libloather]

Republicans keep hoping and expecting that former vice president Joe Biden will have to leave his basement and hit the campaign trail sometime soon. Don’t be surprised, though, if that doesn’t happen. Biden looks to be trying to run a 21st-century version of the standard 19th-century “front porch campaign” - and it might work.

Presidential candidates rarely actively campaigned in the 19th century. The lack of a national railroad system made travel too arduous for candidates before 1850. Even after that, it took days for trains to travel between major cities, and the lack of any means of mass communication besides partisan newspapers meant any candidates would exhaust themselves for little to no impact. Many aspiring presidents therefore did what made sense: They stayed at home and let the crowds come to them.

Republican campaigns were the experts at staging these efforts. They would treat each day the way modern consultants do, selecting a largely favorable audience and designing a speech to make a point relevant to the audience. Workers would hear about tariffs while black voters would hear about emancipation. Reporters would camp out at the candidate’s house, transcribe the words, take the photos and send their missives to their local papers via telegraph. Much like a rally or photo op today, front-porch campaigners could reach the entire nation with a targeted, clear message.

[Stand Watch Listen]

[miserare]

Good one!