Op-ed: Why Trump Is Winning — And How To Beat Him by Ettingermentum

[AltWorlder]

Top level summary:

What Biden Should Do

Step One: Stop Calling Trump Mean. Call Him Stupid Instead.

Step Two: Wind Down the Middle Eastern Chaos ASAP.

Step Three: Countermessage on the Border. Also ASAP.

What Biden Has Done That I Think Is Smart

The Valley Forge Speech

The Abortion Ad (this one)

Saying That Trump Has Dementia

The Taylor Swift Gambit

https://twitter.com/ettingermentum/status/1754611840720498714

Agree?

[OSR stands with Israel]

To do number 3 , Biden actually has to take action on the border which he isn’t so far . Like there are many things he can do without congress:

- Deploy the military to the border

- Restore the remain in Mexico asylum policy which had proven to be successful

- go after employers who hire illegal immigrants . It’s already against the law so enforce the law


Do this then Biden can actually campaign on being tough on the border unlike the GOP .

[AltWorlder]

To do number 3 , Biden actually has to take action on the border which he isn’t so far . Like there are many things he can do without congress:

As with #2, he can't really do much, but he can fix up the messaging at least.

Since there’s no way to win by playing their game, the White House should instead play its own. They should give a major speech that lays out their own vision of immigration policy, not just explaining how much they agree with their opponents. Hell, they should make it a primetime Oval Office address. If the bully pulpit ever had a use, it’s here.

Expectations shouldn’t be too high, though. With the amount of right-wing propaganda that’s been swirling around uncontested, there’s probably no way that Biden can truly “win” this issue by the time of the election. In that light, the most he can do is project himself as capable, consistent, and in control. Retreats, tactical or not, do the exact opposite of that.

In fact, the whole article seems to point at that all Biden can really do is improve his messaging and shape perceptions rather than actually enact policy in time for the election.

[Senator Incitatus]

Ah, simply bring peace to the Middle East.

[OSR stands with Israel]

To do number 3 , Biden actually has to take action on the border which he isn’t so far . Like there are many things he can do without congress:

As with #2, he can't really do much, but he can fix up the messaging at least.

I literally mentioned stuff he can do though and saying he can’t is just making excuses .

[AltWorlder]

I literally mentioned stuff he can do though and saying he can’t is just making excuses .

Governmentally he could but politically dunno if it's feasible with his party. Or even outside at large. Trump didn't go after employers and push for eVerify, all he did was outsource border control with Remain in Mexico, how could Biden do even more? Biden also can't outright restore Remain because it would be conceding that the previous administration was right.

Ah, simply bring peace to the Middle East.

Nah, it's just calling for more messaging-massaging. Presenting any sort of policy that shows the administration has some direction.

[...]As far as most voters are concerned, support for Israel is fine. While the country’s historic popularity with the American public has been reduced and polarized by the events of the past few months, it still exists. The hit Biden has taken isn’t a result of that policy or any other policy, but the perception of chaos unfolding under his watch. It really isn’t any more complicated than that. For a politician who came into office on a promise of quiet competence and whose principal liability is the loss of confidence in his ability to lead, the Middle East erupting into flames was one of the worst possible things that could have happened right before an election year.

For the past four months, the White House has tried to bargain with this reality. They’ve tried to lean into pro-Israel sentiment with soaring speeches. They’ve tried to sell our immense aid for Israel by pointing towards all the jobs the military-industrial complex is providing for Middle America. They’ve tried to present some form of presidential resolve by expanding the war into Yemen, Iraq, and Syria. It hasn’t worked, and it’s not going to work. After Iraq and Afghanistan, voters simply cannot be sold yet another indefinite and ill-defined military commitment in the Middle East. The longer the conflict rages and the more Biden expands it, the more voters will conclude that he is simply incapable of doing his job. While a drawdown to hostilities may not be able to put the long-gone genie of Biden’s elder statesman reputation back in the bottle, it will at least prevent things from getting worse. Pro-Israel, anti-Israel, by hook or by crook, it really doesn’t matter. Voters just need to feel like there’s someone at the wheel here.

The op-ed is actually incredibly damning with faint praise once you get down to it lol

[mjba257]

I love how he makes Step Two sound like some simple check list item. Because bringing peace to Middle East is super easy and certainly isn't something that people have struggled to do for thousands of years.

[AltWorlder]

I love how he makes Step Two sound like some simple check list item. Because bringing peace to Middle East is super easy and certainly isn't something that people have struggled to do for thousands of years.

See post above with relevant quote.

[OSR stands with Israel]

I love how he makes Step Two sound like some simple check list item. Because bringing peace to Middle East is super easy and certainly isn't something that people have struggled to do for thousands of years.

See post above with relevant quote.

As for conceding previous admin was correct, that’s fine given he’s the incumbent. The less voters think he’s doing a bad job on the issue , the better his chances will be for reelection. Also if he goes after employers unlike Trump , Biden can run on “I actually went after the people who cause more illegals immigration and that is companies who want to hire illegal immigrants so they don’t have to pay Americans higher wages rather than protect those companies like my opponent did”.

[AltWorlder]

Sure, but it's not going to happen for the same reason Republican border hawks who bleat about migrant trains will never ever actually go after employers: it would effectively be declaring war on American business and freak out multiple industries. The lobbying, loss in donor funds, and the political fallout would be immense. So I don't see it as a realistic option even if it's probably the least hypocritical move.

[Octowakandi]

Ah, simply bring peace to the Middle East.

Clearly this is a smart guy. Make him campaign manager.

[AltWorlder]

Do people just not read on this forum

[AltWorlder]

Ah, simply bring peace to the Middle East.

Clearly this is a smart guy. Make him campaign manager.

hehe

https://twitter.com/ettingermentum/status/1754945528016605555

[Lief 🗽]

Isn’t this guy like a 20 year old college student?

[Statilius the Epicurean]

Ah, simply bring peace to the Middle East.

Also talk a lot more about one of your worst issues and Trump's best.

[Mr.Bakari-Sellers]

He's not winning it's a 304 map and we haven't voted YET

[AltWorlder]

Isn’t this guy like a 20 year old college student?

Everyone was a 20 year old college student at one point

[I love MAGA, don’t send me to the camps]

I actually agree with step 1. They need to get under Trump’s skin. Frankly, he doesn’t care if someone calls him mean. He will freak out, however, if he’s constantly being called a moron.

[Steve from Lambeth]

If your "op-ed" is hosted on your personal blog, it is not an op-ed. It is a blog post. I thought everyone learned this basic bit of netiquette at some point between March 2006 and October 2007.

[Octowakandi]

Isn’t this guy like a 20 year old college student?

Everyone was a 20 year old college student at one point

Everyone was also a two year old at some point.

[AltWorlder]

If your "op-ed" is hosted on your personal blog, it is not an op-ed. It is a blog post. I thought everyone learned this basic bit of netiquette at some point between March 2006 and October 2007.

It's #25 on the Substack U.S. Politics leaderboard, above Matt Taibbi's, Krystal Ball and Kyle Kulinski's, and Nate Silver's.

https://substack.com/leaderboard/us-politics/paid

[SnowLabrador]

The only thing Biden needs to do to beat Trump is to stop alienating young voters.

[Joe Biden 2028]

If your "op-ed" is hosted on your personal blog, it is not an op-ed. It is a blog post. I thought everyone learned this basic bit of netiquette at some point between March 2006 and October 2007.

What happened between those two dates?

[Mr.Bakari-Sellers]

I tell you what there's gonna be a surprise on Eday , without that Border deal the Rs have exhausted their good will with Voters and Biden can win Harris CTY and ALLRED winning. He's only down 9 that's not a landslide one of these Trump leads are Landslide

[AltWorlder]

Isn’t this guy like a 20 year old college student?

Everyone was a 20 year old college student at one point

Everyone was also a two year old at some point.

Many people on this forum read like they're still age two, yes