The undersigned has had the opportunity to review the transcripts of some Democratic focus group interviews and strategy sessions both from before the coronavirus pandemic hit the United States and then after. I quote from those representative of many.
Democratic Strategists' Conference Call, December 19, 2019:
Democratic Strategist 1 (hereinafter D-1): I think character still matters.
Democratic Strategist 2 (D-2): Oh, I do too!
D-1: I think we should attack Trump's character!
D-2: Oh, I do too! But not too hard.
D-1: No! Of course not. We're Democrats! We can't call him a traitor or something lol.
D-2: Oh my God, no! Soo unseemly. I don't think we should even mention impeachment.
D-1: No! Of course not. Third rail stuff, that!
D-2: I think we should stick to "It's the Economy Stupid" and point out that under President Biden it could be doing so much better.
D-1: Yes! Well, but leave out the "Stupid" is my thought.
D-2: Oh my God, of course! We should never call him stupid! But so, character, how do we tie the economy into character?
D-1: Maybe we should just stick to I.T.E.S. without the S?
D-2: We just got a HUGE amount of money to test some ideas on focus groups. Why don't you go up to Finance, tell them you need a focus group and try some things out on them.
D-1: Great! I will. Thanks for the brainstorming.
Focus Group Interview, January 5, 2020:
D-1. Hello Focus Group, can I call you Focus, ha-ha-ha?
Focus Group (FG): (no response)
D-1: Okay, is character in a president important to you guys...and gals, women?
FG: Yes (unison).
D-1: If you had your druthers would you rather have a president who was experienced at the highest levels of government and intelligent and who relied on facts and experts or would you prefer one who made decisions based on INSTINCT?
FG: Facts (unison).
D-1: Now, did you *know* that Donald Trump had never held elective office before 2016?
FG: Yes. (unison)
D-1: Did any of you vote for Mr., now President, Trump in 2016?
FG: No (by 48.2% of FG); Yes (by 46.1%)
D-1: Okay now the Yes's, those of you who voted for Mr. Trump in 2016, what *if* I told you that Mr., now President, Trump was more experienced now than in 2016, would that make you more or less likely to vote for him in 2020?
46.1% FG ("46.1%): More (unison).
D-1: So character matters, in other words! Now what if I told you that his likely opponent, Joe Biden, was even more experienced than President Trump is even NOW! Would that make you more likely, since character obviously matters to you, to vote for Mr. Biden over President Trump?
46.1%: No.
D-1: But...
One of 46.1% ("A"): It's the economy stupid.
D-1: Excuse me, I need to change my underwear...
D-1: Okay, sorry for that F's and G's, now ma'am, the one who said "It's the economy s-----", could you inform that statement for me?
A: You want me to tell you what I meant?
D-1: Yes, ma'am.
A: The economy is darned good! Unemployment is lower than ever, the stock market is up, it's not *just* character, it's RESULTS!
D-1: But is it really good, like really-really? Is it good for everybody? You know, there's another side to the Shining City on a Hill, one that you Mr. President never see...
A: Unemployment is 3%! That's close enough to "really-really" good for 97%! Close enough for me!
D-1: What
If
I
Told
You
that under a President Biden it'd be even BETTER!
A: I wouldn't switch horses in the middle of the stream when things are going so well with the economy, nah-ah.
B: Me neither!
D-1: okayfine (pause). I know!, what if the economy TANKED in 2020?
A: Well, I don't know how it's going to do that but yes, of course, if the economy all of a sudden collapsed, if the stock market crashed again, if unemployment rose a lot, then of course. That's what I have been saying. It's results! Not just promises, RESULTS! So if the economy really collapsed and we had people out of their jobs, of COURSE, I would consider switching my vote!
D-1: ...So...character only matters when it's tied to results, is that what you're saying?
B: Look, we voted for Trump when he had no experience. We voted for him because we cared about him. And because he was a billionaire and had never been fucked...
D-1: ...SIR! We do not use that language in the Democratic Party!
B: ...Screwed over, is that better? Trump had been a success in everything he done, he never been screwed by anyone, I voted for him least because I didn't think he would let folks like me get screwed over neither.
46.1%: Yeah! (unison).
A: We knew about all of the things he did, we listened to the Access Hollywood tape, We didn't care!
B: So for me, even if the economy went into the toilet, unless "Grabbin' 'em by the pussy"...
D-1: SIR! There are women of the female persuasion in this room with one of those bodily organs you just crudely referred to...
B: Well, dadgumit, that's what the man said. Those ain't my words, those is his, TRUMP's! So unless you could prove that one of that CAUSED a depression, him snatching they's snatches wouldn't make no neverminds to me.
Democratic Strategists' Conference Call January 10, 2020
D-1: Guys, gals, Democratic peoplez, I have a theory.
Conference Call Attendees (CC): What? (unison)...
D-1: My focus group was sooo innteresting. I tried out my theory that the economy really matters to voters. And...
CC: YES! (unison)...
D-1: And that we can tie it in to one of Trump's character traits--that Trump doesn't read much-- and that he could never explain Keynesian economics understandably to voters and that Joe can! And therefore Joe would create an even stronger American economy!
CC: THAT'S IT! THAT'S IT! (unison)
D-2: Great job, Geoffrey. That's our strategy. Draw up a simple twelve-page position paper for Joe--Bullet points! Don't forget the hooks!--and we'll mail it to every voter in the country!
CC: BIDEN-KEYNES! BIDEN KEYNES! BIDEN KEYNES! (in unison).
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Democratic Strategists' Conference Call, December 19, 2019:
Democratic Strategist 1 (hereinafter D-1): I think character still matters.
Democratic Strategist 2 (D-2): Oh, I do too!
D-1: I think we should attack Trump's character!
D-2: Oh, I do too! But not too hard.
D-1: No! Of course not. We're Democrats! We can't call him a traitor or something lol.
D-2: Oh my God, no! Soo unseemly. I don't think we should even mention impeachment.
D-1: No! Of course not. Third rail stuff, that!
D-2: I think we should stick to "It's the Economy Stupid" and point out that under President Biden it could be doing so much better.
D-1: Yes! Well, but leave out the "Stupid" is my thought.
D-2: Oh my God, of course! We should never call him stupid! But so, character, how do we tie the economy into character?
D-1: Maybe we should just stick to I.T.E.S. without the S?
D-2: We just got a HUGE amount of money to test some ideas on focus groups. Why don't you go up to Finance, tell them you need a focus group and try some things out on them.
D-1: Great! I will. Thanks for the brainstorming.
Focus Group Interview, January 5, 2020:
D-1. Hello Focus Group, can I call you Focus, ha-ha-ha?
Focus Group (FG): (no response)
D-1: Okay, is character in a president important to you guys...and gals, women?
FG: Yes (unison).
D-1: If you had your druthers would you rather have a president who was experienced at the highest levels of government and intelligent and who relied on facts and experts or would you prefer one who made decisions based on INSTINCT?
FG: Facts (unison).
D-1: Now, did you *know* that Donald Trump had never held elective office before 2016?
FG: Yes. (unison)
D-1: Did any of you vote for Mr., now President, Trump in 2016?
FG: No (by 48.2% of FG); Yes (by 46.1%)
D-1: Okay now the Yes's, those of you who voted for Mr. Trump in 2016, what *if* I told you that Mr., now President, Trump was more experienced now than in 2016, would that make you more or less likely to vote for him in 2020?
46.1% FG ("46.1%): More (unison).
D-1: So character matters, in other words! Now what if I told you that his likely opponent, Joe Biden, was even more experienced than President Trump is even NOW! Would that make you more likely, since character obviously matters to you, to vote for Mr. Biden over President Trump?
46.1%: No.
D-1: But...
One of 46.1% ("A"): It's the economy stupid.
D-1: Excuse me, I need to change my underwear...
D-1: Okay, sorry for that F's and G's, now ma'am, the one who said "It's the economy s-----", could you inform that statement for me?
A: You want me to tell you what I meant?
D-1: Yes, ma'am.
A: The economy is darned good! Unemployment is lower than ever, the stock market is up, it's not *just* character, it's RESULTS!
D-1: But is it really good, like really-really? Is it good for everybody? You know, there's another side to the Shining City on a Hill, one that you Mr. President never see...
A: Unemployment is 3%! That's close enough to "really-really" good for 97%! Close enough for me!
D-1: What
If
I
Told
You
that under a President Biden it'd be even BETTER!
A: I wouldn't switch horses in the middle of the stream when things are going so well with the economy, nah-ah.
B: Me neither!
D-1: okayfine (pause). I know!, what if the economy TANKED in 2020?
A: Well, I don't know how it's going to do that but yes, of course, if the economy all of a sudden collapsed, if the stock market crashed again, if unemployment rose a lot, then of course. That's what I have been saying. It's results! Not just promises, RESULTS! So if the economy really collapsed and we had people out of their jobs, of COURSE, I would consider switching my vote!
D-1: ...So...character only matters when it's tied to results, is that what you're saying?
B: Look, we voted for Trump when he had no experience. We voted for him because we cared about him. And because he was a billionaire and had never been fucked...
D-1: ...SIR! We do not use that language in the Democratic Party!
B: ...Screwed over, is that better? Trump had been a success in everything he done, he never been screwed by anyone, I voted for him least because I didn't think he would let folks like me get screwed over neither.
46.1%: Yeah! (unison).
A: We knew about all of the things he did, we listened to the Access Hollywood tape, We didn't care!
B: So for me, even if the economy went into the toilet, unless "Grabbin' 'em by the pussy"...
D-1: SIR! There are women of the female persuasion in this room with one of those bodily organs you just crudely referred to...
B: Well, dadgumit, that's what the man said. Those ain't my words, those is his, TRUMP's! So unless you could prove that one of that CAUSED a depression, him snatching they's snatches wouldn't make no neverminds to me.
Democratic Strategists' Conference Call January 10, 2020
D-1: Guys, gals, Democratic peoplez, I have a theory.
Conference Call Attendees (CC): What? (unison)...
D-1: My focus group was sooo innteresting. I tried out my theory that the economy really matters to voters. And...
CC: YES! (unison)...
D-1: And that we can tie it in to one of Trump's character traits--that Trump doesn't read much-- and that he could never explain Keynesian economics understandably to voters and that Joe can! And therefore Joe would create an even stronger American economy!
CC: THAT'S IT! THAT'S IT! (unison)
D-2: Great job, Geoffrey. That's our strategy. Draw up a simple twelve-page position paper for Joe--Bullet points! Don't forget the hooks!--and we'll mail it to every voter in the country!
CC: BIDEN-KEYNES! BIDEN KEYNES! BIDEN KEYNES! (in unison).
-30-
