A messaging mess for Democrats: 3 dumb arguments so far about Trump, Harris, Biden | Opinion

Two days into the reshaped presidential race, we have a sense of Democrats’ initial attempts to define the race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

The messaging is not impressive. Three prominent arguments so far are a stretch at best and downright fantasy at worst. Let’s take a look.

JOE BIDEN IS A GREAT PRESIDENT AND PATRIOTIC HERO

Cut Democrats some slack for not wanting to kick a feeble old man on his way out the door. But there’s praise for the man and then there’s creating a caricature that simply does not exist.

If Biden had had such an amazing term that historians will rank him among the great presidents — an actual claim made by serious people — why is he so unpopular that he can’t run again? On nearly every major issue, Americans say in polls that they trust Trump more than Biden, especially on the economy and immigration.

Democrats don’t want to admit this in part because Harris inherits this mess. This administration’s foibles and failures are hers now as Biden shuffles off stage.

The party pretends that Biden’s legislative accomplishments are the next coming of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Ask Americans if the “Inflation Reduction Act” has helped their grocery bills.

Millions of unauthorized immigrants are here in part because they perceived that Biden wouldn’t stop them. There’s conflict around the globe, often exacerbated by the absence of vigorous American leadership. Biden’s fear of provoking Russia has led him to delay the most meaningful support for Ukraine. His panic over 20-year-olds who think Palestine is the next great progressive cause has led him to interfere in Israel’s effort to crush Hamas.

Oh, and Iran is using proxies to attack American assets and allies and continues to advance toward being a nuclear-weapons state.

This is greatness? No, it’s a feebleness that matches Biden’s physical state.

The other half of this nonsense is that Biden did the nation a great service by stepping aside. When Democrats began to panic after Biden’s debate with Trump, Biden took every step possible to show he was staying in the race. Even as things got worse, he was said to be defiant. It was only when his two most-trusted aides reportedly showed him the reality that Biden could not win that he agreed to step aside.

If Biden were in fact as selfless as his defenders insist, he would resign the presidency immediately rather than risk that his incapacity harms the nation.

DONALD TRUMP IS NOW THE CANDIDATE WITH THE OLD AGE PROBLEM

Democrats showed a certain glee in pointing out that Trump is now the oldest presidential nominee at 78. This desperate leap not only won’t land with voters outside the Democratic bubble, it shows they don’t really understand the problem Biden posed for them.

Yes, Trump says weird stuff. But usually, the cause is narcissism or an odd sense of humor. It’s not evidence of cognitive decline.

The number on Biden’s birth certificate was never the problem. It was the clear drop-off in his ability to communicate and, perhaps, think on his feet. Denying this is part of the reason Democrats let this mess go on until it was almost too late.

They won’t get out of it by trying to convince voters that the candidate who survived an assassin’s bullets and immediately stood to show his resilience is slipping.

KAMALA HARRIS IS A BRILLIANT POLITICIAN, FORMIDABLE CANDIDATE

Let’s give Democrats partial credit here, or at least an incomplete. It’s impressive how Harris locked down a theoretically open Democratic nomination in fewer than 48 hours, though that might be more about party leaders’ desire to avoid more unpredictable drama than anything else.

Harris’ electoral history, however, should not inspire confidence. She never faced much serious competition in California as she ascended from local prosecutor to attorney general to the U.S. Senate, where she barely had time for a cup of coffee before Biden chose her as his 2020 running mate.

Her biggest political undertaking, her own race for the Democratic nomination four years ago, was one of the worst on record. She spent a ton of money, burned through staff and ultimately dropped out long before any votes were cast.

That candidate was not likable, and it has carried over to the vice presidency. Her ratings are perhaps worse than Biden’s — and she’s perceived as much further to the left.

Harris gave no indication she was prepared for high office. And as much as Democrats don’t want to acknowledge it, her sex and her race were a factor in Biden picking her. He immediately ruled out any male candidates and showed a strong preference for a Black woman, limiting the field of available options.

We’ll never know, but there’s not much to suggest Harris would have brought enough to the ticket to emerge from a truly open consideration.

In spite of all this, this presidential race is more winnable for Democrats than it was just a few days ago. Trump’s own broad unfavorability and our inherent division and polarization give Harris more than a fighting chance.

But Democrats better learn to make a better case, and fast. They’ve maxed out their anti-Trump arguments. If they intend to gaslight people about how great the Biden years are and how talented Harris is, that’s not a winning formula.

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