Staff Reports
Kinder Karl Rove has some advice for the political theater we call presidential debates, suggesting that both Biden and Trump come out swinging. In his latest missive in the Wall Street Journal, Rove opined that this first debate could set the stage for the campaign’s tone. A rough night for either candidate might just lock in those elusive undecided voters for the other guy. And with the next debate almost three months away, there’s no room for a do-over.
Rove, ever the strategist, has been burning up the lines with experts from both the GOP and Democratic camps. He says Trump and Biden need to use the debate as a referendum on each other’s time in the Oval Office. Trump, naturally, should zero in on Biden’s epic fails: skyrocketing inflation, a border that’s as secure as a pasta strainer, and spiking crime rates. Meanwhile, Biden is expected to spin the sorry state of affairs he inherited and point fingers at Trump’s so-called “unpopular” stances—good luck making that case.
Washington Examiner: Punch and counter: Karl Rove explains strategy for success in presidential debate https://t.co/36Pin05z5I
— Ian Hansen 🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@IanHansenFeed) June 20, 2024
According to Rove, delving into the murky waters of Trump’s indictments and Hunter Biden’s laptop won’t do either candidate any favors. It’s “wasting time,” he argued, and doesn’t appear to make a dent with voters who have already heard it all.
Apparently, Sleepy Joe has the most to lose in these debates if he comes off as anything less than America’s grandpa. Rove is pushing each candidate to pick three key messages and keep them front and center. They better get personal, too—the kind of stories heartland America can relate to, not some detached, Beltway gobbledygook.
Next week’s showdown will be broadcast on CNN at 9 p.m. from Atlanta, Georgia. For those who care to keep tabs, their second face-off will grace TV screens in September via ABC News.
In the meantime, both political circuses are warming up. The GOP is set to have its convention from July 15-18 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, presumably featuring all the heartland charm the left loves to loathe. The Democrats will gather their troupe in Chicago, August 19-22, hoping the Windy City can blow in some good PR. Buckle up, folks—political theater season is upon us.
