Democrats are, as you might imagine, in full-blown panic about not just the presidential election but the possibility that Democrats in the House and Senate might become casualties when the Biden campaign implosion culminates in a blowout election.
It's hard to blame them. I saw something similar in 2006 for the Republicans. That was the year the public turned decisively against George W. Bush, who thankfully for him, was not on the ballot, and candidates I spoke with would tell stories about voters slamming doors in their faces when they learned they were Republicans.
Needless to say, they got crushed, and the experience during the entire campaign was excruciating for all involved.
NEW: CNN reports that Donald Trump has a “visible path” to 330 electoral votes as the Trump Campaign sets their sights on flipping blue states.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 17, 2024
“Donald Trump is in command. The numbers are getting worse for the President.”
“Donald Trump is on a viable path as of today to get to… pic.twitter.com/VLUHxZNG28
Ed has an article coming out after this one discussing the renewed efforts to dump Biden, which, after a brief pause, has started up again. The sense of desperation is thick in the air, a clear sign of the severity of the situation.
Democrats know that something big has to change, and soon. There are 12 weeks until election day, and while that is, as they say, an eternity in politics, in this case, it really isn't because Democrats have no easy way to change the conversation after the double whammy of the debate and now the assassination attempt.
To save his candidacy, President Biden has embraced a laundry list of left-wing policy proposals, strong-armed the party's nomination process and tried to limit spontaneous, unscripted moments. https://t.co/TXPAe0CqV9
— Axios (@axios) July 17, 2024
Biden may not agree with the desperation, but he sure knows about it and has chosen a path to recovery: go as low as he possibly can to motivate Democrat voters and shore up his declining base.
He may have called for turning down the heat, but in campaign appearances this week, he and his team are turning it up to 11. Donald Trump is, apparently, ready to put blacks back in chains.
Horrific and dangerous lies from President Biden here. Truly appalling. https://t.co/YVhXSRoF4n
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) July 17, 2024
Biden at the NAACP National Convention:
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) July 16, 2024
"And you peacefully protested George Floyd's murder, Donald Trump called for the National Guard to go after you. What in the hell's the matter with this man?" pic.twitter.com/onWKdhD50z
Kamala Harris even questioned J.D. Vance's loyalty to America, which is rich.
Donald Trump has picked his new running mate: J.D. Vance.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) July 17, 2024
He will be loyal only to Trump, not to our country.
If elected, he will help implement the extreme Project 2025 plan for a second Trump term. We’re not going to let that happen. pic.twitter.com/z4UKczVdbv
This is all happening just days after a deranged shooter killed and wounded bystanders and shot President Trump, who by the grace of God, barely escaped a fatal bullet.
It's all they've got. The Democrats have built their entire electoral strategy around demonizing Donald Trump and MAGA, and they have assessed that the only possible way they can save the election is by destroying Trump. This is what has been behind their lawfare, their years of hoaxes, their attempt to keep Trump off the ballot, and their demonization of Project 2025, despite the fact that this isn't even Trump's plan.
Trump has a great opportunity to--surprise of all surprises--run as the bigger man and as the unifier. We will have to see if he takes that opportunity and runs with it, but the early indications are that he will.
The Republican convention so far has been masterfully choreographed, and with the exception of MSNBC, the media has been unusually friendly.
GAYLE KING: When President Trump appeared at the convention, "I felt the emotion, sitting in my bedroom, coming through the TV screen." pic.twitter.com/P8HPSE4J10
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 16, 2024
Republicans are projecting joy, while Democrats are back to spitting bile. The further President Biden goes down this path the narrower his path to reelection becomes, as many swing voters will likely be repelled.
But Biden's team probably sees no other path, however narrow this one is. He has to quell the concerns of his base (hint: he won't) and, in particular, reignite passion on his left flank.
So, the big question is not whether nastiness and heated rhetoric will return, but whether it will come from one side of the aisle or two.
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