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In a bid to change the momentum in a presidential reelection beset by legal wrangling, misinformation claims and growing international instability, former President Donald Trump and Current President Joe Biden In the CNN presidential debate simulcast on Fox News Channel on Thursday night, we’ll have to work hard to sway the dwindling electorate.
It’s a delicate balancing act for both, but not for the same reason. Trump will be aggressive, trying to make inroads into traditional Democrat constituencies alienated by the failed policies of the Biden administration. Even a small percentage of defectors from traditional Democratic voting blocs could swing the election in his favour.
For his part, Biden will have to defend, defend the indefensible while attempting to demonstrate competence that is continually in question. Fortunately for Biden, the standard is low. As long as he doesn’t drool, the mainstream media will call it a victory.
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To win back voters, Trump needs to act like a president, as Biden calls him a criminal, the instigator of January 6, a sexual assault offender and a threat to democracy. Trump needs to show that he is presidential, that he has a grip on the facts, that his approach is logical and that he is willing to solve voters’ problems, not fall for the bait that Biden is happy to offer.
Risks to Trump is overplaying his hand. If people see Trump as the pompous villain portrayed by the left, he could lose his chance. Overplaying the victim card on his impeachment could backfire on him. But by the same token, it is this “legal fight” that is generating new support in traditionally left-wing, minority communities. Is it enough to change the momentum? Time will tell.
Can Trump take advantage of growing divisions among Biden’s supporters? Can Biden do the same with Republican supporters?
President Biden faces an even more complicated task. If he is forced to defend some of his most unpopular policies, it could be game over for him. Will CNN’s moderators dare ask tough questions about his disastrous foreign policy? Will Biden be forced to do so? Answer for AfghanistanUkraine, Iran, open borders, or rising inflation and debt? What is Biden’s plan to fight inflation?
His task is further complicated because he must find a way to defend his record without alienating his most loyal voters. Can he defend his Israel policy without angering his traditional Jewish donors? And if he does, how will that affect far-right, left-wing anti-Semitic voters? Especially in Michiganwho have tilted dramatically toward Hamas in recent years?
Biden’s unpopular open border policies are causing him to lose support among blue-collar and urban voters who traditionally vote for Democrats but are now concerned about their safety. If he exaggerates to please those voters, he risks angering his NGO and nonprofit allies who favor unfettered immigration. These are the people who campaign for his party, raise money for his candidates and organize protests.
That leaves him with the option of making gaslighting his best option on immigration and crime. That’s what his administration usually does — telling us the borders are secure and the streets are safe, and that we shouldn’t trust our own lying eyes. But if he makes these claims in a debate, he risks looking unconvincing, if not dishonest. Nobody is fooled.
Trump offers to undergo drug screening if Biden agrees to same test
And then there’s the economy. This has always been the top issue for voters. Trump has the advantage that he has led voters to more prosperous times. Repeating the current message of the left – that voters are too stupid to understand how good their economy really is – is unlikely to make voters feel engaged. Not to mention how it might affect any claims of their competence, honesty or mental acuity.
Democrats have taken it for granted that their traditional voters are strong. They’ve built their entire electoral structure around the idea that minority voters, blue-collar workers, young voters, immigrants, convicted felons, Jews, and suburban women will be strong supporters of theirs. But do they?
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Surveys show that support for Biden among these voters is waning. Asking working-class voters to repay the debt of Ivy League students is hardly endearing him to his blue-collar unions. His efforts to slow Israel’s response to Hamas have given many Jewish voters pause. And his failure to mitigate the impact of his immigration policies on deep-blue urban centers has begun to alienate inner-city voters.
Can Trump take advantage of growing divisions among Biden’s supporters? Can Biden do the same with Republican supporters?
Trump’s party is also struggling with its splintered base. Biden should try to capitalize on the gains created by his party’s recent legal battles, hoping that voters will back off from electing a man who wears the label of “convicted criminal.” But by doing so, he also risks overplaying his hand and generating sympathy for the target of the political legal battles.
Joe Biden has a lot to lose in this debate compared to Donald Trump. If Trump is able to capitalise on voters’ doubts about Biden’s competence, his skills and his suitability for the job, Democrats will panic.
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Biden might make a mistake or two. Mistakes are such a big part of his personality that it might be even more suspicious if he didn’t make a single one. But it would undoubtedly be hard for him to go 90 minutes without notes or a teleprompter. God bless the person who has to transcribe Biden’s words.
After all, elections are about the future. The candidate who can allay voters’ fears about the future stands to gain a significant lead.
