The November election between Donald Trump and the Republicans and Hillary Clinton and the Democrats is going to be the most appalling and vicious in history. Look at the national polls, Clinton has a two-point lead. Trump is a "meta-candidate" who cuts across ideological and party lines. He upsets the Democratic advantage in the electoral college. He has messianic appeal. His followers respond to his anger and to his rhetoric and largely don't care about his policy prescriptions. It will be difficult for the Democrats to shake loose that strange fruit. Trump will acquire nearly all registered Republican support. That which he loses will be more than offset by the number of Democrats and Independents that respond to his messianic appeal. It will be a close election which Trump could win. If the Democrats do not match anger-for-anger, fear-for-fear.
The Democrats must attack Donald Trump and the Republicans as viciously and as relentlessly as they will attack them. If the Democrats attack they will turn a close election which they could lose into a historical rout.
First, the Democrats must lash Trump and the Republican Party together. They must not let Republicans distance themselves from Trump to save their party.
Second, Democrats must go right at Trump's appeal and lash him and the Republican Party to Anger, Fear, Meanness, Unfairness, Danger, Erraticism. The imagery must be vivid with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, George H.W. Bush lashed Willie Horton to Michael Dukakis.
Trump's "Bomb the shit out of ISIS!" begets a reprise of LBJ's daisy ad. Fear is met with fear.
Deport illegal Mexican immigrants begets real images of American deportations interposed with Nazi deportations of Jews. Meanness is met with meanness.
Trump's "Bomb the shit out of ISIS!" begets a reprise of LBJ's daisy ad. Fear is met with fear.
Deport illegal Mexican immigrants begets real images of American deportations interposed with Nazi deportations of Jews. Meanness is met with meanness.
