Forget trivial memes: focus on how Trump’s weak character translates into practical policy harms in Americans’ everyday lives. That’s the really good advice Democrats are taking from their research:
…As in 2016, ad makers are focusing on Trump’s character. But unlike four years ago, they are no longer focusing on his character in isolation — rather they are pouring tens of millions of dollars into ads yoking his behavior to substantive policy issues surrounding the coronavirus, the economy and the civil unrest since the death of George Floyd.
“You can’t chase the Trump clown car,” said Bradley Beychok, president of the progressive group American Bridge. “Him drinking water and throwing a glass is goofy and may make for a good meme, but it doesn’t matter in the scheme of things … What people care about is this outbreak.”
…“One thing we saw in polling a lot before the coronavirus outbreak is that people didn’t think he was a strong leader or a good leader, they complained about his Twitter,” said Nick Ahamed, analytics director at Priorities USA. “But they had a hard time connecting those character flaws they saw in him with their day-to-day experience.”
Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and recent protests, he said, “really made concrete for people the ways in which his leadership has direct consequences on them and their loved ones … It’s easier to make ads that talk about his leadership than before the outbreak.”
…In one obvious way, assailing Trump is less complicated for Democrats than it was four years ago. Trump is the incumbent now, and for the first time he has a record of governance. Pointing out historic economic and public health crises in ads is not rocket science [David Siders, “Democratic Ad Makers Think They’ve Discovered Trump’s Soft Spot,” Politico, 2020.07.03].
People who voted for Trump in 2016 weren’t thinking about policy. They just thought it would be cute to elect a “reality”-TV star who affirmed their bullying impulses of xenophobia, misogyny, and anti-intellectualism. Now that we can see the practical impact of sticking Archie Bunker in the White House, maybe a few million more Americans are willing to acknowledge that the Presidency is too serious to joke-vote and that we need to elect a real executive to conduct the nation’s business.
It makes my eye twitch when I’m on the Facebook and see people I believe to be otherwise intelligent and thoughtful use memes as fact. Occasionally I call out the bad ones and the typical reaction is to get so offended because I actually want to discuss/debate or ask them to rationalize the topic at hand.
Brilliant.
Real policy! Now that’s something Trump and his gang are incapable of addressing.
If they keep the policy ideas simple and easy to communicate to potential voters, I’m all for it. The details can be as complex as necessary, but for the love of pete, keep the goals concise enough for the average person to explain to someone else. A campaign shouldn’t sound like it’s interviewing to become Chair of Public Policy at the Businesspeak Institute.
Regardless, I’m happy (and relieved) we’re not going to have another clumsy, boneheaded campaign focused primarly on repeating “Dangerous Donald!” in a spooky voice. (You mean he’s really bad? Wow, this is totally new information! Only someone who was sentient from the 1980s onward could have known that!)
Lots of bad news today. But big picture: “Now, throughout the pandemic and the civil unrest sparkled by the murder of George Floyd, the economy and its unprecedented unraveling has been relegated to the “C” block on cable news.
We will get the occasional aerial view of thousands of cars lined up for a bag of groceries, but those images could easily be mistaken for lines of cars waiting for COVID-19 testing.
Then, after we have gotten the official COVID-19 numbers from the news anchors, which the CDC recently conceded may only be reflecting 10 percent of the actual ravages of the virus, we will get stock quotes on which corporations are the best at maximizing their profits in our time of national emergency.
All of this useless information is bookended with commercials from corporations telling us “we are all in this together.”
Hardly. https://www.salon.com/2020/07/03/as-covid-19-deaths-hit-record-numbers-trump-oversees-a-historic-wealth-transfer-to-the-super-rich/
This is even better though addressing the complex rightwing legacy of SCOTUS chief Roberts-as 5thface on a fanciful pillory sculpture
https://www.salon.com/2020/07/03/a-true-american-monument-to-trumpian-times_partner/
I want to agree, but I have two reservations: 1) so much of President Trump’s support is a cult of personality; reason and facts play NO role in their support, and 2) so many who hold thoughtful objections to President Trump and HIS America feel disenfranchised to the point of no longer participating in the political process.
The 2020 election, in fact the future of this nation, depends on the voices of reform and decency finding agency for that change. The 99%/Occupy Wall Street rage against income inequality and corporate greed in America was a thoughtful, well-researched message that made NO movement in the needle of that issue. Our economic systems are as unbalanced, racist and corrupt as when we saw the movement in full swing. I fear the same happening on issues/outrage on systemic racism, militarized police, deliberate disenfranchising voters. It’s no longer about just being right on the right issues, it is about reforming a broken political machine to create even the ability to address reforming those issues.
O, I am seeing so many white people feeling and acting very passionately about Black Lives Matter. It’s really stunning. I’ve never seen this level of involvement before.
Photos from the 60s civil rights efforts included few white faces. The 90s efforts around the Rodney King beating were similar.
This 21st century movement is different. The level of engagement by young white people appears approximately equal to that of people of color. They are passionate about politics. I expect the highest level of voting by citizens under 35 ever.
That helps me feel optimistic. I’m still anxious about the election due to GOP election fraud, but I’m hopeful.
Vanita Gupta, and David Miliband, a Brit, have very powerful descriptions of how bold the new democracy is going to have to be to move a liberal America forward after these 3 tumultuous years, and the extraordinary damage the GOP has succeeded in inflicting in the last four decades. The impunity of norm and law breaking world wide requires intelligence response. As more examples of such bold and deep thought and experience surface I will attempt to bring them here. Fear not, people of good conscience.
Leslie, they are right that a bold, new democracy is required. No GOP double talk as employed in the GWB administration will suffice. In fact, neither will moderate Democratic plans.
For those of you who have not been around the big protests, you have no idea the level of energy and rage. It’s not only about skin color, though that’s the catalyst. It’s also economic and educational discrimination.
It’s a wide spectrum of people and skin color covers the wheel. Moderate, white, suburban moms are outraged. They’ve seen from the police riots that their white children are not safe. Cops beat civilians regardless of skin color. The mother’s children have friends of color so the kids are going to keep showing up.
I don’t know if the political leadership has come to grips with what’s happening. If anyone can handle it and do what is necessary and right, the brilliant Nancy Pelosi will pull it off.
I with you Debbo
I am confused as to why the Biden campaign “inner committee” would even be considering allowing Mr. Biden to participate in any stage appearance with the president. Double talk is the least with which Biden will have to contend. Trump will pull out everything he has to arrack any and everything about Mr. Biden — factual or fiction! It will purely promote Trump in the eyes of the “learners” and confirm the supporters. Why should this or any ad open the door for Trump to take any credit for anything. Stop typical Dem ads and kick the Pres every chance you get!
I suggest it’s high time we stop whining about what we don’t like and instead emulate Trump in demonizing what he is representing, adopting the identical we/they rhetoric he uses. This means demonizing the value system he is holding forth— adopting such rhetoric does not mean demonizing the person—his system of lies, distortion, twisting of the truth to one’s advantage, and wholesale manipulation of the public. I have yet to hear the left do this cogently, consistently, and forcefully. What implicit disdain we/the left has needs to be made explicit by a forthright attack, and the best way is to use Trump’s own techniques of demonization of the Other—that Other being the values he is representing.
We’ve been through this whole rigmarole before about us becoming them to beat them. I personally have no problem getting in the sludge with them, but, other, more wiser people on our side do.
mike from iowa The way you phrase it, yes, people on our side do object to sludge. But I believe you fail to understand what I am saying. I’m not suggesting sludge, but am suggesting it’s high time we stop whining about what we don’t like with infinite criticisms of the man himself and that we instead emulate Trump in demonizing (in a ‘polite’ way) everything that he is representing, adopting the identical we/they rhetoric he uses. This means effectively demonizing the value system he is holding forth— adopting such rhetoric does not mean demonizing the person nor does it foreclose on a we/ours philosophy—his system of lies, distortion, twisting of the truth to one’s advantage, and wholesale manipulation of the public. I have yet to hear the left do this cogently, consistently, and forcefully, and certainly Biden isn’t doing this in such a manner. What implicit disdain we/the left has needs to be made explicit by a forthright rhetorical attack, and the best way is to use Trump’s own techniques of demonization of the Other—that Other being the values he is representing. The form this should take remains to be determined, but it is not about creating schism, but being clear about what is happening to this country. Straight talk or no talk. Although I like “we and ours” talk some advocate it alone simply doesn’t have the purchase that is necessary when it comes to talking the country back, and the latter is what is at stake. This is no longer the era of JFK and MLK; what stirred me then is but nostalgia now, and wholly insufficient, IMHO.
Dave, if I follow you, you’re saying we should be clear that we oppose hate, that we think hate is destructive, that it’s unAmerican, anathema to the USA. We should campaign against racism, using the word “racism” and saying we are opposed to racism in all its forms. We ought to demand clean government, while decrying corruption, lying and deceit. And so on.
Is that what you’re saying? Because it seems to me that the Loyal Opposition is doing so. If I’m wrong, I guess I need you to be more explicit.
Or are you referring to personality traits? Or more Lincoln Project type ads?