We’re all set for November 3rd
With the announcement yesterday and the resulting excitement from it the Biden/Harris campaign is off and running. As expected they got mostly positive media coverage, and Harris breaking ground as the first female minority candidate was heralded.
Now the challenge for both sides is to define her before the other side does.
So, is she the middle of the road Democrat that joins Biden as a main stream team? Is she the pro police DA from her days in that role?
That’s the goal of the Democrats to present.
On the other side, the Republicans will say she was just named the number one liberal voting senator last year — more liberal than Senator Sanders. They will say she changed positions and is pro medicare for all, for the new Green Deal, wants to raise taxes and favors defunding the police.
Watch and see who wins that battle and how the media answers when challenged with: If she is so perfect for the time, how come she never made it to Iowa in the primaries? How come she was fourth in her home state polls (California’s primary) before dropping out?
In the end I think she helps the Biden bid, but once the hype and conventions settle in, this election will be about Trump and Biden, as all presidential elections are about the top of the ticket.
Let’s Get to the issues
One thing that never came up yesterday in the teleprompter speeches was what do they stand for? It was clear they were against the President’s policies and his handling of the Coronavirus. We get it, but what would they do different?
They are going to have to explain that as we go forward.
Do they want to reinstate the Iran Nuclear Deal? NAFTA? TPP? Any trade deal? Do they want to assume more of the cost for NATO and allow others to skate? Do they want to go back with China to what was happening before the Trump administration? We know you said the President mishandled the crisis; how? Wasn’t it you who called him racist for closing the border to China? What have you said that you would have done different at any point in time?
On the economy you say the administration messed it up and created this mess. Can you sell that to the public? Don’t you think most blame China for their misleading on the virus? Was the economy before the virus bad in your opinion?
Is raising individual taxes the answer? Do you really want to raise the corporate tax rate again and risk jobs leaving again?
Let’s hope this is an issue focused election.
more to follow as we proceed
Some Other election news
Remember Representative Van Drew who switched parties rather than vote to impeach the President? Polls show him down 46-45 to Amy Kennedy, the Democratic nominee and Kennedy relative.
A second Kennedy relative, Joe Kennedy, is running for Senator in Massachusetts against incumbent Senator Ed Markey in a close race too. He, too, appears to be slightly ahead.
Meanwhile The Squad is expanding their standing in the Democratic Party.
The four original members all breezed through the primary campaign and will be reelected. Then they added new members like Cori Bush in MO who beat Rep. Clay and Jamaal Bowman in NY. He beat Elliot Engel.
On the other side of the party, in Illinois, Rep. Dan Lipinski, one of the few pro-life Democrats, lost his race to liberal challenger Marie Newman.
So the squad grows and the debate on the future of the parties and our nation does too. Your vote matters.