Time to Reset

Erick Erickson on Aug 9, 2024

In one month and one week, people in Pennsylvania will start casting their votes for president of the United States. A lot of people will cast their ballots before events play out in the final month of the campaign. In Pennsylvania, John Fetterman won his Senate race because his campaign kept him well hidden until the bulk of voting had happened. The media seems to be doing that now for Kamala Harris. As they protected Joe Biden, they will protect Harris.

Donald Trump could do an end run around the national media. Even as polling has shifted to Harris, Trump still leads those polls on issues. More Americans favor Trump on immigration, crime, the economy and foreign affairs than Harris. Trump can and should exploit this by bypassing a national press that will not challenge Harris.

Trump should barnstorm the swing states and do local media. Right now, Trump is having J.D. Vance do the leg work. But the signs say Trump on top, not Vance. People are voting for Harris or Trump, not Vance or Tim Walz. The 500,000 Americans who will decide who our next president is are not going to watch Trump do a livestream with a Twitch influencer. They are tired from a long day. They trust the long news anchor on their local news station who has been behind the anchor desk for 30 years. That guy or lady, they think, is fair and one of us. If Trump does an interview with that person, the swing voters in the swing states will pay attention. An interview with Elon Musk on a platform most Americans do not use does not get the same return on investment.

On Monday, Trump should go to Wisconsin and do local interviews with local reporters. Get to Eau Claire, where Harris and Vance were a few days ago. Sit with a local news anchor. Pre-record an interview for the evening news. Then get on the plane and head over to Green Bay and do the same. Then hop down to Madison and repeat.

On Tuesday, do the same in Michigan -- mid-market media interviews with local newscasters that the swing voters will see when they sit down, crack a beer and decompress from their day at the office. Go to Pennsylvania, then Georgia, then Arizona, then Nevada. Focus on immigration, crime, and the economy. Kamala Harris can talk about joy and vibes. Trump can talk about the kids killed by illegal aliens and how he will make groceries affordable again.

For the past few weeks, Trump seems to be off his game. He's back to angry Trump. He alienated Georgia Republican voters with attacks on Gov. Brian Kemp. Go be humorous and charming and make Kemp smile, if you can. Do an event. Build unity, not division -- this is not hard, though it may be humbling.

Trump supporters seem very insistent that everyone needs to rally around Donald Trump to save the country. From the partisan perspective, they see the need for unity. From the practical, political perspective, independent voters do not need Trump. Donald Trump needs them. He has to give them something to vote for. Trump supporters who insist everyone needs to swallow their pride, stop complaining and get on board can say that from being on board already. But plenty of voters want to be wooed and know, from a practical point of view, Trump needs them. They do not need him. He must persuade them. Bullying them will only make them stay home or vote for the opposition.

The best way to cut through the noise and get the attention of the swing voters is to go local. The national press hates Donald Trump. The local press wants the ratings. They will ask tough questions, but they will be the local, trusted faces. Trump has stories to tell. Every state is affected by illegal immigration and fentanyl. Every state has higher grocery and gas prices than when Trump was President and most have higher crime rates.

It is time for Trump to reset if he wants to win, and he can do that locally in swing states.

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To find out more about Erick Erickson and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.

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