According to one Democrat-friendly analyst, in order to get Democrat voters to turn out for the midterms they will “have to scare them the crap outta them” by blatantly referring to Donald Trump.
John Heilemann, MSNBC’s White House correspondent, spoke on Wednesday’s Deadline: White House. He described the “dark strategy” that prominent Democrats have in mind for the forthcoming campaign season.
Donald Trump is going to be the focus of attention… Let’s say Donald Trump, that Jan. 6 committee, the threat to democracy, and make Trump… the face the Republican Party.
Heilemann’s honest assessment of Democrats’ chances of winning November elections is that Democrats “can’t motivate [voters] based on hope, their pocketbooks, or any other accomplishments.”
Also, everything is a sham and the voters correctly attribute the fault to the party in charge.
He said that inflation was “psychologically the most destructive thing politically” and I would add that it is one of the top issues in voters’ minds.
Gallup reported last week that 17% of Americans thought inflation was the most important problem facing America. This is the highest level since 1985, when inflation was at 3.8%. That’s less than half the current rate.
According to the same survey, 47% of Americans worry about their energy bills. This could be for heating the house or filling up the tank.
Americans are most concerned about the economy overall, after inflation. 63% disapprove of Biden’s economic management.
57% of Americans are disapproving of Presidentish Joe Biden’s handling of the border problem he created. Biden’s rescinding of Trump’s Title 42 (which made it easier for illegal aliens to be deported or stopped from entering the country — starting next month — is likely to make matters worse.
Title 42’s removal is so controversial, even before its deleterious effects kick-in, that five Democrat senators joined with the GOP this week to push Biden to restore it.
However, Biden still gets high marks for his handling the COVID pandemic. “Only 37% of Americans identify the virus among their top five priorities that the government should address by 2022.”
Another Gallup poll found that crime ranks third among our top concerns. “For the first time since 2016, 53 percent of respondents said they worry a lot about crime.” “27% reported they worry a fair amount,” meaning crime is “nearly at the top of the 14 national concerns…behind only inflation and the economy.”
“Donald Trump will ruin our Democracy!” is not on any Americans’ top priorities list. Yet, that’s the strategy Democrats may rely upon for the midterm elections.
Instead of confronting our real problems, Democrats might try to scare their base by telling them scary stories about Trump.