Events in the last month or so are evidence sufficient to show that the political winds can shift at the drop of a hat – literally. Former President Donald Trump was shot in the ear and nearly murdered on live television, creating what was almost the most transformative moment in modern American political memory.
“Almost” is the key term here. Many thought it would be that historic event, and for a week, it felt like it was. The momentum and energy flowing out of the GOP convention were not only palpable but infectious. The confidence was a freight train loaded to the brim, and people couldn’t help but take a Trump victory for granted.
But another drop-of-the-hat moment robbed Americans of that future. This time, the only thing that dropped was President Biden’s body as the Democratic establishment – Obama, Pelosi, Schumer, etc. – knifed him in the back in what should have been the most shocking political coup in American history.
That imagery is figurative, but the impact of it is purely literal. In a matter of hours, Biden was cast aside, Kamala Harris was crowned candidate, and the corporate liberal media cult lined up in jackboot fashion behind her. Everything that happened in the 10 days prior vanished. All that came out of the press now was Harris and, as a side dish, the full-scale manufactured nobility of Biden stepping down.
Everything Trump had done to build a landslide re-election campaign was washed away; at least that was the assumption that GOP media figures and operatives made. But this assumption rested on the premise that Biden’s ubiquitous failures and blunders, not Trump’s behavior, were the reason for the recent swing in Trump’s favor. This is wholly misguided.
Trump was running a more disciplined, deliberate campaign, by far, than his 2016 or 2020 races. The debate was a prime example. Yes, Biden completely embarrassed himself on the national stage by blubbering and fumbling through what might have been the English language (experts are still unclear). But did the same thing not happen in 2020? Biden was similarly nonsensical in those debates, yelling at Trump, “Shut up, man!” The only thing that changed over those four years was the acceleration of Biden’s mental decline. His performance was worse this time around, no doubt. But hadn’t Americans seen that for the entirety of his reign?
The pivotal factor of the debate was the contrast. Biden looked awful. Terrible. Tragic. Trainwreck. We’ve all known that, but this time, we got to see that display next to the image of a truly competent presidential figure.
Trump was reined in, relatively calm and wise in his choice of attacks and language. In 2020, he was none of these. The picture of the 2020 debates was two old men yelling nonsense at each other, and after all the chaos of the pandemic and summer riots, the logic behind voting for the older man who seemed a little friendlier and quieter, as opposed to the one who came across as vitriolic and unhinged, was understandable at most.
But the June 2024 debate painted a far different picture: now the old, friendly guy was even older, but not the least bit friendly due to the damage dementia had done to his brain, while the chaotic guy did a 180. The latter was now more reminiscent of Reagan — bold but more calculated.
This was the foundation of Trump’s ascendance in the polls. Yes, he was gifted a golden political opportunity, though unimaginably tragic and scary, with the assassination attempt. But that would have been nothing without the work he previously did to pull momentum in his favor.
If the Trump campaign does not return to that strategy, it will waste both the momentum gained and the unicorn of a political event in the assassination, ushering in another four years of far-left governance that will further deteriorate America.
So, unlike most political media personalities and elected officials, I won’t just report the problems of the Trump campaign but also suggest solutions.
First, Trump does not need to cater his campaign to Harris. After the switch of the opposition candidate, Trump threw out the playbook like a defensive coordinator who just learned that the other team swapped quarterbacks the week before the Super Bowl. I use this analogy because the team is still the same, and all they did was change quarterbacks. If the offensive line is still weak, why would you remove the plays that take advantage of that?
Similarly, Harris is on the hook for all of Biden’s failures: immigration, the economy, the brink of World War III, and even the cover-up of Biden’s declining mental state. So Trump and the loyal folks who run his campaign just need to go get the playbook out of the trash, adjust it to Harris, and prove to Americans that she is not only not dissimilar from Biden, but that she is an even more radical version of him.
Second, stop directing all your fire at Tim Walz. Do you think it was a complete blunder to pick him as the vice presidential candidate? Maybe, but considering J. D. Vance’s elevation on the other side, I doubt it. Walz will be a failure of a pick, but only if Republicans play this right.
Vance was selected, in part, to be Trump’s attack dog. That was a smart strategy. But Walz as a Midwest version of Bernie Sanders is something that the Harris campaign understood when they picked him. They knew the right-wing kneejerk reaction would be to jump all over him. But that is exactly what they want – for Walz to absorb all the fire that should be directed at Harris. Nobody votes based on the VP candidate. “Experts” will tell you that VPs can turn an election. I doubt it. Trump needs to focus on Harris, especially when she’s avoiding the spotlight. Let Vance wreck Walz in a debate.
Finally, if any Trump “politicos” out there happen to read this and take anything from my soapbox rant, it should be this: DO NOT WASTE THE UPCOMING DEBATE. Prepare now. Make sure Trump runs a similar playbook to his debate against Biden. Harris will attempt to portray him as an “existential threat to Democracy,” just like Biden did. Let Trump disprove that with his own actions, and likewise let Harris prove herself to be the clown she is with her own words, and then throw well-timed jabs when appropriate. He needs to keep a cool head, be the moderate figure, and just be the normal candidate. It’s not hard considering Harris’ and “Tampon Tim’s” insane ideology.
Follow my advice, and Trump supporters’ daydreams of early morning victory on November 6 will come true.
Carter Ashcraft is a 21-year-old from Tuscaloosa, Ala., who is majoring in political science at the University of Alabama. You can contact him at carterashcraft12@gmail.com.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819News.com.
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