Evening newsletter From the Politics Desk covers campaign, White House, and Capitol Hill news and commentary. Today, Allan Smith and Ali Vitali, who covered Nikki Haley's presidential campaign, investigate her campaign outreach. Chuck Todd discusses why the coming weeks are essential for Joe Biden and Donald Trump's general election rematch.
Many Haley voters don't want to choose between Donald Trump and Joe Biden for president. The voters' early impressions of Trump and Biden were different. Trump said on Truth Social that Haley “got TROUNCED” on Super Tuesday “in record setting fashion,” adding, “Much of her money came from Radical Left Democrats, as did many of her voters.” He later said he “would further like to invite all of the Haley supporters to join the greatest movement in the history of our Nation.”
Biden: “Donald Trump made it clear he doesn’t want Nikki Haley’s supporters. Please note: My campaign contains them.” Crossover voters attacked Trump in open primaries, bolstering Haley's alliance. Although a minority in the GOP primary, both parties' strategists agreed that her supporters may be essential in close battleground states. In Virginia and North Carolina, half of Haley's supporters supported Biden's presidency, more than the population. Few Trump fans loved Biden's performance.
The New York Times/Siena College survey released Saturday indicated that 48% of Haley's supporters voted for Biden in 2020, compared to 31% for Trump. Trump's early GOP primaries performance may have been attributable to “resistance”-leaning independents being encouraged to vote rather than independent voters' sentiments.
The general election will be bad. Personality is predicted. The two campaigns will likely end with Trump supporters believing Biden is dead and Biden supporters believing the Constitution will be suspended on a second Trump inauguration. The fundamental question is which negative attacks will stick with non-partisan people who don't hate both candidates. Next six weeks should indicate how much a paid anti-Trump media effort boosts Biden.
Since Biden has a financial advantage against Trump, his campaign should act immediately. As usual for incumbent re-election campaigns, this one has a “referendum on Biden” feel. Trump, the opponent, has a "winner's" aura from his constant travel and media attention.
Question Dukakis, Romney, and Kerry about its duration. Every campaign had moments when they seemed to focus on the other guy and his party. Until the incumbent's campaign spoke and spent. Trump campaigns regularly blame opponents for his problems. Attacking Trump as a chaos agent who failed to prevent a Jan. 6 protest from turning into an insurrection is strong. Trump labels the border or international events “chaotic” or “out of control” under Biden because he knows this.
How Biden's team handles this inoculation is intriguing. It must convince the middle of the electorate to vote for Biden again, arguing that the chaos he pledged to end in 2020 would end. Would voters believe that?
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