As former president fails to land attacks against Harris campaign, advisers hope to capitalize on upcoming debate

​Donald Trump’s campaign insists that they’re pursuing multiple strategies against Kamala Harris, but the true picture that is emerging is that the Trump senior advisers’ grand plan, for now, is to pray that the former US president ​has a good night at the presidential debate next month.

​The game plan, in other words, has become one of hoping that Trump wins the debate so they can regain momentum – a stunning approach that shows the serious predicament for Trump and his campaign as he struggles to find ways to land effective attacks against the vice-president just months before the election.

​What has happened internally in the Trump campaign in recent weeks is the realization that nothing they do in the period up to the debate is likely to cut through in a significant way that blunts Harris’s gains that have her level in key swing state polls, according to people close to the matter.

​And because they don’t think the messaging will cut through, senior advisers are left hoping that Trump can energize voters with his performance on stage, the people said.

  • cygnus@lemmy.ca
    161·
    3 months ago

    Harris didn’t do well in 2020 (edit: 2019) though. She was very uncharismatic. To her credit, she seems to have worked on that a lot since then.

      • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
        32·
        3 months ago

        She’s also the nominee with all the DNC money and backing. She will have the best consultants, advisors, resources, etc, and she strikes me as the sort of person who listens to constructive feedback. In the primary, she was working against a lot of the best people in the Democratic party. She now has everyone behind her pushing forward, which is entirely different from trying to pull out ahead of a pack.

        In the primary, she was on stage with Biden and Bernie and Warren and Klobuchar and Buttigieg and Yang and Beto and Booker and Castro and Gabbard and at least three other people nobody remembers. Some of those people are better speakers, some are better debaters, some have better records, some are better leaders, some have better ideas, and almost all of them are not entirely batshit insane.

        She now only has to debate Donald Trump. She is a better speaker, better debater, better leader, has a better record, has better ideas, and will be the only candidate on stage who isn’t entirely batshit insane. She will also be the only candidate on stage that isn’t a racist. The only one who isn’t a convicted felon. The only one who isn’t a rapist. The only candidate who didn’t incite an assault on the Capitol building to stop an election. The only candidate who isn’t misogynist. The only candidate who hasn’t sold state secrets to an enemy government. The only candidate who hasn’t committed a felony at Arlington National Cemetery.

        Plus she likes dogs.

        • ElectricAirship@lemmy.dbzer0.com
          2·
          3 months ago

          she strikes me as the sort of person who listens to constructive feedback.> Is there a particular event or thing I can look up that she did to give you that impression?

          • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
            5·
            3 months ago

            I would say her general demeanor, her presentation style, if you compare her to 2020, she has clearly gotten better at speaking and energizing a crowd. She seems more polished, more self-aware. I don’t know if she was leaning towards Shapiro, but if rumors are to be believed, she listened to feedback from progressives and chose Walz. Plus, y’know, she’s a rational adult who isn’t a malignant narcissist or raging egomaniac.