Trump needs to stick to policies.
Harris’s team must have done some focus groups that show that name calling is more effective than issues.
We may hate that reality—but welcome to 2024.
That’s what the democrats tell me.
Also he should just stop with the insults and quit fighting back.
Sounds like solid advice, the opposition wouldn’t lie, right?
My exact thought!
To co-opt a phrase from “Serpent Head,” James Carville... “It’s the policies, Stupid!”
I hope and pray “45” exploits the failed policies!
I do not believe that for one second.
Most of the voting public does not care one bit about policies. They vote based upon the match between the image of who they believe themselves to be and a very superficial perceived image which establishes what they believe the candidate to be.
We (the readers of this forum) might care about policies. We are very small percentage of the population in an echo chamber of like-minded people. We had best keep this in mind.
We are in a battle of images, more than substance. The only policy discussions that mean anything to most people are ones that clearly explain "what's in it for me?". The Democrats work on promising an endless supply of "free stuff" paid for by "somebody else". The Democrats also work on promising "We will punish the people that you do not like".
It is all lies, but a lot of people want to believe the lies. That is the problem we are facing.
What have the Republicans got? The best we have is: "You get to keep your stuff", and: "We will stop others from taking your stuff". Also: "We will leave you alone to run your own life as you see fit". That appeals to a completely different audience than the one to which the Democrats are playing. It is also a smaller audience.
Trump can benefit by focusing attention on a few economic policies. He must also throw into the mix some straight-up character attacks of opportunity that make Harris look bad to her supporters. It is about breaking the match between Democrat voters self-image and their perception of Kamala Harris.
Democrats like to believe they are smarter and better informed and have higher morality than the rest of the public. Seeing that Harris does not match up with that image will be devastating to them. Many will stay home and may not vote at all
One thing that may convert some Democrat votes into Republican voters is that the Democrats have sold out their historic base of Blacks and Working-class men in favor of large corporate and billionaire donors. They have also sold out their wealthy Jewish backers in favor of Muslims. The Democrat party has become extremely anti-Jewish and Jews ignore this at deadly peril.
Or maybe the Jews didn't really mean it when they said, "Never Again!". We are about to find out.
Another item which may convert some Democrat voters into Republican voters is the ongoing deterioration of the American economy. "Are you better off now than you were five years ago?" The answer is clearly "No" for anybody who buys gas, or groceries, or pays utility bills. And what a concept: "Women and Minorities hardest hit by inflation". Followed by: "Inflation is caused by government spending more than it can possibly collect in taxes". "Government spending benefits small groups at the expense of everybody else." "The Democrats are not your friends." "The Democrats will raise your taxes and give the money to their cronies".
Trump must have a positive alternative for every attack he makes on Democrat economics. For every negative image he can invoke of his opponent, he must also have a positive image he can display for himself.
How this can be worked into the "debate" is a matter of improvisation and fast thinking as much as preparation. Trump has a potentially decisive advantage here.
My bet is that Kamala Harris will contrive some excuse to back out of the debate at the last minute. Her sponsors are evil, but they are not stupid. They do not need or want Harris to fail in a public debate the way that Biden failed.