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Sham Biden impeachment proceedings at taxpayer expense ... more government shutdown drama ... more deranged and demented Trump tweets in service to the self ... haven't we all seen this before?

Here's a crazy thought: how about if the Democrats stop worrying so much about what the GOP strategy is and simply do what they think is right? All that stuff is fatty, spicy food for a diseased body in need of a lean, healthy diet. I get it that negative advertising tends to work, but even that has limits when its hand is overplayed. Non-MAGA USA, I strongly suspect, will be more than exhausted with the Trump legal spectacle and headline-seeking GOP smear tactics by summer/fall 2024 and will be quite receptive instead to a positive message. In this case it should be what the Biden Administration has done for us up to now and what it plans to do for us in the future. It is a winning strategy if they give people good reasons to vote for them while the GOP continues to wallow in negativity, self-pity, and grievance.

The difference is both obvious and stark. Run with it and keep it coming. Make sure everybody hears it, loud and clear and often. If Trump and the GOP insist on raining, Biden and the Democrats should be the parade.

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Surely there has got to be some major Trump Fatigue building. I’ve always marveled at how he bitches and moans constantly, and I thought Americans hated whiners. He hasn’t shut up in the last two-odd years (and they have been pretty odd), the volume and frequency is increasing, and he’s going to be in court quite a bit. Perhaps people will have had enough, because you know his lunacy isn’t going to stop even from the White House again. (And I was not calling you Shirley.)

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On a trip last summer, I was in a taxi in a foreign country with 3 other Americans. The driver asked, "How is the new President?" I said, "He's fine so far." The 3 people with me literally screamed and put their hands over their ears. One woman began fanning her bosom and the other 2 riders shouted at me, "How can you say that? Gasoline..." After a few exchanges, one of them directed me to stop talking. Then one woman explained to me, "Trump sometimes says obnoxious thangs, but he's a goood ma-an and he looves the people. Bless his heart, he does his best." All 3 college educated, apparently sane otherwise.

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So now we have a new lowering of the bar by GOP supporters. Watch for the new slogan, on a bumper sticker near you: "Trump 2024 -- He Does His Best." If only we all were smart enough to think of that in doing our own jobs.

As for him being a good man, you'd need a file folder the size of Connecticut to hold all of the evidence otherwise. For those actually willing to look at it and evaluate it all objectively.

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Grrrrr. I know, right?

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When I'm over at FoxNews...the level of anti-American articles and posts are off the charts. Of course, they are saying it's only the "blue" part of America that has these issues. They literally don't feel like the Dems are part of THEIR country.

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“Here's a crazy thought: how about if the Democrats stop worrying so much about what the GOP strategy is and simply do what they think is right?“

I do believe that is Biden’s strategy. A fair amount of criticism floats around that he’s not patting himself on the back enough (something Trump was exceedingly preoccupied with), but time will tell which PR strategy is best for an ill-informed electorate.

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I'm hoping that it will be a case of "slow and steady wins the race." If Biden stays on topic, projects a can-do-and-will-do demeanor, and doesn't get wrapped up in the Trump melodrama, letting that just run its course, he stands to consolidate his support among those seeking to vote for someone and something rather than against. As much as negative campaigning gets results, the Trump/GOP extremes have the potential to backfire when it becomes so overwhelming and so pervasive that voters become turned off by the messengers as much as they are by the message.

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After Trump won in 2016, shocking the polling results that predicted Hillary, there was discussion among pundits about the “shy” Trump supporter - someone who was too embarrassed to admit their intentions to vote Trump because it’s such an obvious moral failure.

Recently I heard on a podcast a view that I’ve secretly held, hoping that the tables are inverted this time; former Trump voters who fear repercussions if they say they WON’T vote for him this time, so they misrepresent to the poll by stating their ongoing support, when instead they will secretly vote Democratic.

Could happen?

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I think that's wishful thinking and not particularly realistic based on my encounters with the MAGAs. What I do think is more possible is them either not voting or voting for another GOP candidate via write-in. Same overall result, but I doubt many of them will vote for the other party and still consider themselves GOP. They have a very strong loyalty for the GOP and against the Dems.

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"I think that's wishful thinking and not particularly realistic based on my encounters with the MAGAs."

Not to put words in his/her mouth, but I think GG is referring mainly to (ill informed?) independents who voted for Trump the first time, maybe told a bunch of their friends, and may still say to pollsters they are going to vote for Trump, but aren't really going to.

You're right about the MAGAs though. They are fully under the influence of the cultist kool-aid and would never in a million years vote for anyone but Trump. Changing their minds cannot be part of the strategy. That will never happen.

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True and good point. Given the hundreds of interactions I've had over on Fox...it's clear that very few of them are particularly bothered by misrepresenting news and/or facts and so why would their voting intentions be any different? :-)

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I'd like to see more people promote the idea that if you are a loyal Republican, but find yourself turned off by Trump's antics, you can simply leave the presidential portion of the ballot blank -- no vote for either Trump or Biden. It isn't helping Biden to win so much as not helping Trump, and it is something of a face-saving way, even in private, to feel like you tried to starve the beast without going over to the other side.

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Yes, I think this should be part of the strategy:

1. Don't want to vote for Biden? Fair enough.

2. But vote for Trump? C'mon. You want to help him destroy our country and the institutions we hold dear? Just sit this one out and you have done your duty.

Never Trumpers would be well placed to promote this message. It may not be enough to defeat Trump all by itself, but every little bit helps.

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