Saturday, October 12, 2024
This is not a political comment or endorsement of any kind. (I have to say that these days!) It IS a strategic statement, because I don’t understand the Democratic strategy at this point in the campaign. I once had James Carville, the famed Democratic strategist, as a guest speaker at one of my conventions, and he taught me a lot. Right now, he seems kind of worried.
If the Democrats’ position that Harris is the “fresh start” and Trump is an “old evil” is correct, then why should the polls be so close right now, virtually tied in the legendary “swing states”? If it’s that clear, why are half the voters apparently favoring Trump?
Remember when Hillary Clinton was going to win the election because she would take the women’s, union, and black votes by huge margins? Well, she didn’t, even though she won the popular vote, she lost substantially in the Electoral College. (Let’s not debate the Electoral College here, the fact is that you need to win it to win elections at the moment.) Why are the Democrats urging people to vote because they claim “it’s going to be a close election” if their cause is so elevated and the opposition is so evil? Why is Obama insulting in his campaign speeches (in my view) any black man who does not vote for Harris?
I think I know why Carville is worried. The Democrats didn’t realize how despised Hillary Clinton was, and perhaps they’re not clear on how damaging it’s been to hide President Biden’s illness and then embrace Harris who hadn’t even been a factor before and who’s being shielded from spontaneous questions about her positions?
As mentioned, this is just an observation about strategy.
Trump’s hasn’t been good at all, with fabrications and belittling and outrageous claims. Are these the kinds of choices we’ve come down to? God help us.