Can Biden Convince Americans His Brand of Populism Is Better Than Trump’s?

Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin

Biden has broken dramatically with the laissez-faire approach to trade and industrial policy taken by the last two Democratic presidents, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. Instead, he’s embraced the populist ideals advocated by Democrats to his left, such as Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren

“Remember when Obama f---ed up and said small-town Pennsylvanians are clinging to guns and religion?” asks a Republican consultant

With Trump the likely Republican nominee, the campaign will also be suffused with fights over race, gender and xenophobia, as well as the generalized chaos he brings to every situation. 

Bloomberg 8 January 2024

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2024-01-08/will-trump-s-or-biden-s-brand-of-populism-convince-voters-in-the-2024-election


The Election No One Seems to Want Is Coming Right at Us

It isn’t just that Trump is running ahead of Biden now in the overall race, according to RealClearPolitics’s average of polls. It’s that he’s running ahead of him in the states that matter: 

Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina, Wisconsin. 

I don’t quite understand all of these Democrats who say Trump is an existential threat to decency, democracy and maybe life on the planet and then insist they’re sticking with Biden instead of another candidate.

At a minimum, can we please replace Kamala Harris on the ticket with someone more, er, confidence inspiring? 

Gail: Real-world answer is that Harris hasn’t done anything wrong. You don’t dump a hard-working, loyal veep who also happens to be a woman and a minority just because you think there might be somebody better out there somewhere.

Bret: Saying Harris hasn’t done anything wrong leaves out two more salient questions: What has she done well? And does she add to or detract from the ticket’s electability?

NY Times Jan. 8, 2024

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/08/opinion/trump-biden-claudine-gay.html


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