Defining and Identifying
Now that the political conventions have passed and Labor Day is near, we’re into the homestretch of the presidential campaign. We used to say it was the real start of the general election effort, but with early voting happening in some places in just a few weeks, things ramp up earlier (and longer) these days.
One of the tactics is to try to identify yourself and your opponent. And the way Joe Biden is being defined could be a problem for both sides.
The Republicans have tagged him as low energy, perhaps with declining cognitive skills. His gaffes since he adopted the “campaign from home” approach have been so frequent and so cringeworthy I don’t have time to list them all here. But that can be a problem because it sets our expectation bar so low. He delivered his convention acceptance speech without problem, and leaving behind the dispute about whether it was live or recorded, the speech is what voters saw…and they did not see a candidate who was nodding off or drooling. Now that there are more public appearances, and in a few weeks a debate, Republicans have to watch the “Joe doesn’t know where he is” line, because if Biden then comes off as competent even in the slightest, he surpasses expectations and looks better than he actually is.
But there’s a real problem for Democrats, too. It’s hard to reconcile certain wings of the party saying Biden will be the most progressive president in history, when he then comes out as he did this week claims to be a moderate. Saying things like, “You know me. Do I look like a Socialist?” undermines much of the coalition building that has been done to bring in Bernie Sanders supporters; sort of like saying, “oh, don’t worry about that, I had to do that to get the nomination”. The “you know me” line also suggests that he hasn’t altered his positions, which since it’s not true, is something opponents can use, as they also point to his 47-year record in public office and ask about his direct accomplishments.
If you’re listening to this, you probably already have a good idea about the two major party candidates and cannot understand how anyone could be uninformed or undecided. But there are plenty of those people, who are just starting to pay attention…and they’ll be the ones deciding the election.
