“Never underestimate your adversary,
former President Bill Clinton
Democrats celebrated throughout the recent Democratic Convention in Chicago … many already predicting Kamala Harris to win in November, perhaps in a landslide.
On a personal level, she appears to be genuinely grateful for the support she has received since President Biden withdrew from the race and even more so with her party’s nomination. During the Convention, her established professional and political credentials and character for aspiring to be America’s next president were highlighted.
They emphasized Kamala’s and Democrat’s optimistic view of America’s future, commitment to the Constitution, protection of democratic ideals and norms, equality, patriotism, support for veterans who they do not view as “suckers” or “losers”, and a belief the Congressional Medal of Honor is a greater tribute than any Presidential Medal of Freedom.
By contrast, Donald Trump’s constant litany of lies and mistruths, likelihood of implementing Project 2025, viewing those who disagree with him as enemies, plans to repeal Obamacare and roll back LGBTQ rights, demonizing immigrants, admiring of autocrats while criticizing historic allies and NATO, obsession with crowd sizes, and seeking what might be “one of those black jobs” were on full display.
Kamala and her running mate, Tim Walz, provided broad outlines for their Administration’s goals and focus on the middle class. While their campaign of optimism and hope has more emotional appeal than the Republican’s dismal and divisive the-sky-is-falling outlook; of utmost importance to millions of undecided and moderate voters are inflation, the economy, immigration and crime, on which most place more trust in Donald Trump.
Passing references to crime having come down dramatically over the past 3½ years, immigration successes, including a bi-partisan bill Trump forced Congressional Republicans to kill, and the most robust economy in the world, require more than just campaign rhetoric to change many voters’ present beliefs. Where inflation is concerned, although dropping significantly, prices on almost everything from food to housing are as much as 20% higher than in January of 2021. Trump claims he can fix and even turn back the clock on inflation, but like every other prediction, including ending the war in the Ukraine in 24 hours, is a baseless fantasy.
More concerning, Donald Trump has transformed himself from a crusading populist into an idolized and autocratic cult leader who has single-handedly destroyed many Americans faith in our nation’s most important and historically-trusted institutions.
To earn the keys to the White House, Kamala will need more than messages of “joy!”
She and Tim Walz must spend more time meeting with “ordinary” folks across blue, red, and purple states, make themselves regularly accessible to both friendly and potentially hostile print and electronic media outlets, and more effectively react to and rebut misleading and untrue Republican attacks.
Rather than focusing on inconsequential message of “joy”, their an emphasis on always telling the truth and ”character” will be far more important.
