It is very normal for candidates to nearly pass out in a stupor upon hitting election day. Totally understandable. After months of non-stop campaigning the day comes and there is literally nothing to be done about the vote as it plays out. One can’t help but think that a candidate suddenly feels very helpless and even more alone. Their future – one full of promise or disappointment – is on the line and it will play out in large part due to what happens in one complete day. Reports are now trickling in that Donald Trump finds himself dazed and limping to the finish line. It may well be similar in the Kamala Harris camp.
As originally reported by Rawstory, “Morning Joe” had The New Republic’s Michael Tomasky as a guest to set out his assessment and what he might be hearing from inside the Trump camp. As is well-covered at this point, last Sunday’s rally in Madison Square Garden might play a defining role in this election. History will certainly remember:
“I think journalists and future historians will look back at the Madison Square Garden rally as a key, key moment. When we first learned about that rally, I immediately wrote, ah, Fritz Kuhn, 1939; this is what he is trying to emulate.”
It is possible – just possible, that Trump was trying to borrow the precedent for an authoritarian government as done in 1939. But caution is warranted. No – Donald Trump will not win New York. But there are many House races in the NYC area that might determine the make up of the House of Representatives. Both parties need control of the House if they want to control the future. Just be wary that what seems like the obvious historical reference may be strategy in disguise. A message to fellow Trump supporters: “We are with you, New York – you matter.”
Tomasky then referenced what he sees as a key Harris advantage. After noting that the Sunday rally was a “hatefest,” he mentioned an alternative reality in which it could have been much more productive.
“In contrast, what has Kamala Harris spent the last ten days doing?” he continued. “More than ten days, actually. ‘We’re not going back,’ and ‘It is time to turn the page.’ This is what Doris [Kerns Goodwin] was saying. This is hopeful, optimistic, and forward-looking, and it is a contrast.”
The Harris campaign’s hopeful tone is likely their only choice because moderates will determine the vote-count. But the campaign did have the option to send out a more frantic message, one highlighting that the future depends on this election more than any other since 1860. It might well be true and might’ve motivated people to go to the polls. But voters have heard the “Democracy is on the line” message repeatedly. Harris had to finish with an appeal to the remaining uncommitted, voters who are perhaps scared, those left wanting a sense of normalcy.
Last comment:
By contrast, he said that Trump’s past ten days were filled with “WTF moments.”
It is tough to tell whether Tomasky was reporting on comments coming from inside the campaign or the voters’ responses. It is almost surely both. We have heard reports that the Trump campaign stopped all attempts to manage the message, ending with a let “Trump be Trump” final plea.
He rode that message to victory in 2016. It is worth noting that if Democrats had the ability to “cheat” – as Trump supporters often assert, that ability would most certainly have been unleashed in 2016. Clinton was the consummate insider and expected to win. Democrats and election officials should be ready to point out that if there was an ability to control results, it surely would have happened in 2016.
Regardless. One cannot take all that much away from the Trump campaign, and Trump himself, feeling a sense of desperation, nor even emanating from Harris. There could be a lot of depression or regret borne out of depression and futility. Whatever has gone into the campaign, it is now done. To the extent that the election is – as expected – razor close, they are prepared for post-election litigation and strategy. They might not be able to impact the actual vote but they still control how the near future plays out.
Ideally, the country won’t have a bunch of “WTF” moments, nor any associated depression and especially not futility. A democracy should never be futile.
God Bless: I can be reached at [email protected] and @JasonMiciak
more like a shit show campaign
“…It may well be similar in the Kamala Harris camp…”
did you see VP Harris’ speech in Philadelphia last night? Far from similar, it was positive and uplifting and hopeful. She was far, far from exhaustion. Good for her! Go BLUE!
I wrote that exact same thing as a big positive for her.
I was only speaking about a sense of futility over not having any more to do regarding votes.
I cannot imagine very much that would be more hellish than running for prez/vp of our country especially after sewing up the major party nomination. You are constantly in the spotlight, under unrelenting scrutiny, in a glass ball up to and somewhat after the winner is declared. Of course, for the winner this scrutiny doesn’t really end but for the loser, you’ve gone thru all that and did not bring home the prize-hellish doesn’t even begin to describe it really.