If you had the chance, what advice would you give the Biden campaign going into the general?

[brucejoel99]

Same as title.

[Illini Moderate]

I would advise him to make sure he's getting his message out, and not to ignore states like Minnesota and New Hampshire that could be very close again. I would also tell them to prepare extensively for the debates so that he's not on defense the entire time and doesn't lose his temper too badly.

[TrendsareUsuallyReal]

The future of the Democratic Party depends on the Sun Belt as much if not more than the Rust Belt. Press the advantage

[IntelligenceWins]

"Don't go to the debates." but I hope he does

[Roll Roons]

Bring on the leaders of the Lincoln Project as unofficial advisers.

[xavier110]

Don't assume there will be a fair & free election. Play hardball. Have lawsuits and legal arguments ready for immediate filing. This is not a normal administration, this is a criminal regime you're up against. Assume the worst and plan accordingly.

Trump seems to be trying to sow as many seeds as possible for him to then legally justify shutting down polling places or delaying the election. He needs absolute chaos to do that. Opening schools is just one more example of laying that groundwork.

[Badger]

Hit economic issues. I hate the term populist, but run against Trump like you're running against Mitt Romney. It fits him like a glove, and will hurt him just as bad. Remember, somehow, inexplicably, the most recent polls from maybe a month ago show voters still trust Trump more than you on handling the economy. This is possibly biggest Achilles heel. Frankly, you should do extensive Focus grouping and other pulling to find out exactly why.

Continue projecting that you will bring the country together and offer grown-up leadership. That said, don't be afraid of taking a few chuckling Jabs at old man silly pants during the debates just like you did with Paul Ryan. He can't handle being laughed at, and it will carry a lot more in showing the emperor has no clothes then Hillary's somewhat schoolmarmish reaction to him acting the fool.

Take a sister Souljah moment against antifa the next time the statue of an abolitionist or George Washington gets tossed in a river. Hit it make the point and move on. When Trump inevitably price to frame his entire campaign about the issue in a debate, reiterate your point, and move on to economic issues. Actual swing voters don't need to be convinced that you're going to be tougher on the thousand or so members of antifa desecrating monuments then Trump. People who have that as a primary issue are going to vote for Trump all day long. Still, there are number of Swing voters who just merely need reassured, correctly, that you are no friend to these extremist. Hell, even something like one out of 8 Sanders voters still aren't willing to vote for you. Like it's going to be hard to show people that you're not an antifa friendly extremist?

Pick Kamala Harris as you're running mate. I'm not saying she's like a shot of electoral adrenaline, but she has the fewest shortcomings of any of your serious options, and the fact she's African-American won't hurt. Yeah, she doesn't have close to Obama's reverence in the African American Community, yet, but you can't afford for African-American turnout not to rise notably from 4 years ago. After you pick her and she becomes a household name, she'll help in that regard.

People either realize Trump's a narcissistic sociopath completely unsuited for any position of authority, let alone president, or they are fuzzy bear types who are convinced that it's a combination of the media being relentlessly unfair and what little they can't justify is consider it an acceptable eccentricity so long as they get their right-wing judges appointed. Hillary went down this path, somewhat understandably since Trump has president was an unknown and scary commodity, but she missed the boat not hammering him on the fact that he has governed like an unrestrained plutocrat.

Outside his handling of Coronavirus, don't emphasize trumps many many personal and professional shortcomings. I'm not saying don't mention the fact that he was, oh, you know, impeached for essentially being a Russian asset, but spend little time on it. There probably aren't 100 swing voters in the country still persuadable on thosd issues. Coronavirus is the exception because it directly impacts and demonstrates just what a complete dumpster fire as president he is. Tens of thousands of died with more everyday, and the economy completely shot to s*** as a direct result of his incompetence and self-interest.

Your key states are the following. Michigan and Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona, Florida, and North Carolina. I'm not saying don't campaign at all in any others, but these are where the election will be decided. first two are of nominally less importance based on your current lead there, particularly Michigan. North Carolina is probably the first to triage if necessary, though I'm tempted to say Wisconsin is only a step behind. However, never forget they are must-win States. On that note, never forget Trump's only chance at re-election is to once again thread the needle with the Electoral College by running a narrow inside straight to get to 270 despite losing in the popular vote yet again. Don't let it happen. It's not worth you losing four out of the six above States by the skin of your nose even if you win the popular vote by 3 and 1/2 million.

On that point, until we see polls showing Texas and even Georgia being as competitive or more so than The Big Three industrial States , they're Fools Gold. You may want to save campaigning in Georgia only to the last week or two if and only if the State polls have you comfortably ahead with an electoral majority, so you might be able to help the Georgia Senate candidates across the line.

EDIT: I guess I might tentatively Georgia on the Battleground list, unlike say Ohio and Texas. Obviously you can't run a national campaign in seven states so other tentative swing States like Iowa Texas and Ohio will deserve resources. But you don't seriously Go outside these seven states until about two weeks or less before the election and Trump is firmly past the point of no return, and you can focus on pulling some Senate seats like Iowa across the line for you.

[MR DARK BRANDON]

REALLY watch What you say, and prepare extensively for debates.

[woodley park]

Don't pick a boring VP just because of their experience or their moderate heroism. Nobody cares about that, first of all. Second of all, you have plenty of experience and are already seen as moderate. Pick someone who will juice key segments of your base.

[Bidenworth2020]

Prepare thoroughly for the debates, try to stick the states you need to win (and that polling shows gives Biden the easiest path to 270) and the rest will fall in place if it is a wave, get on the airwaves soon and define Biden in a positive light (coverage of Trump at any given time usually functions as negative media). I have trust in the candidate and the campaign to do most of the above.

[Person Man]

Don't pick a boring VP just because of their experience or their moderate heroism. Nobody cares about that, first of all. Second of all, you have plenty of experience and are already seen as moderate. Pick someone who will juice key segments of your base.

We need to avoid a Sarah situation, otherwise spot on.

[S019]

Don't be afraid to expand outside of WI/PA/MI/AZ, and to especially prioritize the Sun Belt and places like NC, GA, TX, and FL. I'd also advise Biden to triage OH, given he doesn't need to win, and it doesn't have anything much of value for downballot Democrats. I'd also advise him to pick Harris as his running mate to help with AA turnout, which was relatively low in 2016. Also I'd advise him to run a relatively positive campaign, which he's done so far, mix in some attacks on Trump, but also don't refuse the help of anti-Trump PAC's, who can also dent Trump's image without making Biden look like he's running a negative campaign, especially since Biden's personality lends itself quite well to a strong campaign.

[MR DARK BRANDON]

Also campaign in any state that was not called instantly in 2016

[Badger]

Don't pick a boring VP just because of their experience or their moderate heroism. Nobody cares about that, first of all. Second of all, you have plenty of experience and are already seen as moderate. Pick someone who will juice key segments of your base.

That all sounds good, but just curious whom you would suggest?

[Badger]

Don't be afraid to expand outside of WI/PA/MI/AZ, and to especially prioritize the Sun Belt and places like NC, GA, TX, and FL. I'd also advise Biden to triage OH, given he doesn't need to win, and it doesn't have anything much of value for downballot Democrats. I'd also advise him to pick Harris as his running mate to help with AA turnout, which was relatively low in 2016. Also I'd advise him to run a relatively positive campaign, which he's done so far, mix in some attacks on Trump, but also don't refuse the help of anti-Trump PAC's, who can also dent Trump's image without making Biden look like he's running a negative campaign, especially since Biden's personality lends itself quite well to a strong campaign.

I hate to say it, but notwithstanding the Supreme Court and legislature races and their impact on Congressional redistricting, there's no senate or governor's race in Ohio warranting much time or attention here. Even if say a week or two before the election Trump is firmly and apparently irrevocably down in the state polls to give by a majority, event needs to concentrate helping in secondary Electoral College states with competitive Senate races like Iowa, and maybe Texas or Kansas

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Stop asking people to donate, when Ds get the Senate, they will likely send Citizens United and DC statehood to the SCOTUS and John Robert's will be the decider. I donated my money already in primary. When the economy was good. Most of us Dems have already.

Let Middle Class people continue to donate, not working poor people, which they are.

[McGarnagle]

Don't be afraid to be bold and to be progressive. You are likely to win a huge mandate in November - do not squander it. Go bold on universal health care, higher wages, workers rights, social justice and racial equality.

Do not feel bound by the arbitrary rules of the past - do not squander the mandate you are given out of an overabundance of caution which at the end of the day is just timidity. Work with activists to forge a new future - do not make the mistake of past Democratic administrations by dismissing them as the "professional left".

[Pyro]

Inspire the base to vote for you, for reasons other than just removing Trump. It's obviously important to repeatedly criticize Trump's ineptitude, especially regarding the Covid response, but detail your contrast with him. Give specific policy proposals that appeal to young people who otherwise may be less inclined to turn out. Go big on all fronts and state concrete ideas that will improve living standards. Choose either Ayanna Pressley or Barbara Lee for VP.

[Roll Roons]

Joe, a lot of young people are f**king idiots. You know who I'm talking about. Rose Twitter. The ones who religiously listen to Chapo and the Young Turks. Who think you're a rapist and secretly part of the KKK. They are the ones who go tearing down statues of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. These people suck, so please, please, please, ignore them.

Do not kowtow to their demands, because you don't owe them a damn thing. It's a lose-lose scenario. If they didn't turn out for their god emperor in the primary, don't expect them to turn out for you in the general. Plus if you start trying to appease them, all you do is give the opposition ammo to call you a "radical leftist" and exploit culture war fissures to flip people who are on the fence. Seriously. Prime Minister Jeremy Corbyn can attest how going hard left totally won't result in a wipeout. Luckily for you, there's no need to do that, because 99% of them live in New York, San Francisco, Seattle, DC and Boston anyway.

You are leading in almost all swing states and are within striking distance in Georgia and Texas because so far, you have turned the race is a referendum on that incompetent, corrupt and all-around horrible thing that sits in the White House. That is why you are on track to get great minority turnout, win independents and flip a significant number of moderate Republicans. Keep it that way. Also, while big rallies are probably off the table, find a way to get Barack and Michelle involved. If there's anyone who can boost black turnout, it's them. And see if you can release a well-timed endorsement from Kasich, Schwarzenegger or even Romney.

Tammy Duckworth is your best choice for a running mate, and it's really not even close.

Don't get complacent, and do not let up until Wolf Blitzer projects a winner. This election has always been very winnable for you. You've got this.

[Progressive Pessimist]

Keep to simple messages. That certainly worked for Trump last time, and can work again. I would recommend slogans to the Biden campaign like "Proven Leadership" or "Rebuilding America." Though they seem to sort of be doing that so far.

[woodley park]

Don't pick a boring VP just because of their experience or their moderate heroism. Nobody cares about that, first of all. Second of all, you have plenty of experience and are already seen as moderate. Pick someone who will juice key segments of your base.

That all sounds good, but just curious whom you would suggest?

Depends on which part of the base one wants to juice. I think Demings, Lance Bottoms, Bowser, and Harris have their advantages, as do Warren, Baldwin, Whitmer, and Duckworth. I just don't want a female version of Tim Kaine.

[Ferguson97]

You’ve probably already got Michigan in the bag so quadruple down on Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. You don’t NEED 400EV. You just need 270.

[Pyro]

Joe, a lot of young people are f**king idiots. You know who I'm talking about. Rose Twitter. The ones who religiously listen to Chapo and the Young Turks. Who think you're a rapist and secretly part of the KKK. They are the ones who go tearing down statues of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. These people suck, so please, please, please, ignore them.

Do not kowtow to their demands, because you don't owe them a damn thing. It's a lose-lose scenario. If they didn't turn out for their god emperor in the primary, don't expect them to turn out for you in the general. Plus if you start trying to appease them, all you do is give the opposition ammo to call you a "radical leftist" and exploit culture war fissures to flip people who are on the fence. Seriously. Prime Minister Jeremy Corbyn can attest how going hard left totally won't result in a wipeout. Luckily for you, there's no need to do that, because 99% of them live in New York, San Francisco, Seattle, DC and Boston anyway.

I sincerely hope Biden's staff has more level-headed folks offering advice than this. Strawmans aside, it's not a sound plan to just ignore 37% of the electorate under the assumption that they're either guaranteed votes or radical lefties. Much of this crowd is fervently Democratic, but it's probably a better idea to offer something to make them want to support your candidacy instead of simply voting against the opposition. Hell, even supporting an executive order legalizing marijuana and expunging the records of non-violent drug offenders to end the school-to-prison pipeline would garner tons of support by people under 40. There's plenty of progressive positions that are overwhelmingly supported by Americans and could entice more young people to show up.

[Orser67]

Just winning the presidency isn't enough. Just getting back to the pre-Trump era of gridlock (2011-2016) isn't enough. You can do a lot of good through executive action, but to make the long-term reforms this country needs, you need to win the Senate. Getting a Senate majority is the single most important thing, but every extra seat above 50 gives a huge boost to your chances of passing major legislation and holding the Senate potentially until 2026. Redistricting is important in its own right, too.

Don't take PA+MI+NH+MN+NV for granted, and do invest in WI and FL, but also place a high priority on helping Dems win Senate races in ME+AZ+NC+MT+IA+GA+TX (and also possibly SC+AK+KS).

[TrendsareUsuallyReal]

Joe, a lot of young people are f**king idiots. You know who I'm talking about. Rose Twitter. The ones who religiously listen to Chapo and the Young Turks. Who think you're a rapist and secretly part of the KKK. They are the ones who go tearing down statues of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. These people suck, so please, please, please, ignore them.

Do not kowtow to their demands, because you don't owe them a damn thing. It's a lose-lose scenario. If they didn't turn out for their god emperor in the primary, don't expect them to turn out for you in the general. Plus if you start trying to appease them, all you do is give the opposition ammo to call you a "radical leftist" and exploit culture war fissures to flip people who are on the fence. Seriously. Prime Minister Jeremy Corbyn can attest how going hard left totally won't result in a wipeout. Luckily for you, there's no need to do that, because 99% of them live in New York, San Francisco, Seattle, DC and Boston anyway.

You are leading in almost all swing states and are within striking distance in Georgia and Texas because so far, you have turned the race is a referendum on that incompetent, corrupt and all-around horrible thing that sits in the White House. That is why you are on track to get great minority turnout, win independents and flip a significant number of moderate Republicans. Keep it that way. Also, while big rallies are probably off the table, find a way to get Barack and Michelle involved. If there's anyone who can boost black turnout, it's them. And see if you can release a well-timed endorsement from Kasich, Schwarzenegger or even Romney.

Tammy Duckworth is your best choice for a running mate, and it's really not even close.

Don't get complacent, and do not let up until Wolf Blitzer projects a winner. This election has always been very winnable for you. You've got this.

Cutting aside the rather adversarial first half, this is spot on.