Trump Is Tiring And Democracy Is Winning
One thing that has become clear during Trump's criminal trial is that the ex-president is tired as the relentless energy of democracy is wearing him out.
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Republicans Have Embraced Election Denial Because Trump Has Lost His Steam
One of the truisms in American electoral politics is that positive campaigns will almost always beat negative campaigns in the minds of voters, and it makes sense.
Think about your own life and the kind of person that you like to spend time with. People like being around positive people who are upbeat and optimistic. No one wakes up in the morning and thinks what a wonderful day! I can't wait to spend my time with depressing people who are going to tell me that I am doomed.
The greatest recent example of a positive campaign winning was Barack Obama in 2008. The man’s slogan was literally Hope, and voters loved it. Plenty of Republicans voted against Hope, but lots more Americans voted for Hope, and Barack Obama is already regarded as a top ten president in American history because having the right message, along with transformative policies that left a lasting legacy on the country.
Donald Trump is the most negative campaigner of the last forty-plus years. Interestingly, Trump’s 2016 campaign was about making big promises to Republicans.
Trump was going to make all of those things that Republicans have been afraid of for so long go away. When you think about it, the slogan Make America Great Again contains some optimism. The slogan suggests that things aren’t great right now, but they could be great again.
By 2020, Trump had shifted into an intensely negative campaign that was all about him and his grievances. By America, Donald Trump meant himself, and all he cared about were his own issues. When Trump ran into Joe Biden's red, white, and blue optimism, he was cooked.
Instead of recalibrating after his loss to Biden, Trump tripled down on the negativity. Republicans' refusal to accept the 2024 election results is based on a negative view that they can’t win the election with a positive message. The GOP is planning on negatively rejecting the results and hoping the delegitimation of the electoral process results in a seizing of power.
As we will talk about below, Republicans have had to go negative because Donald Trump is running on fumes.
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