An old rock song has been running through my head all day. Hum along if you know it.
It was a new day yesterday, but it's an old day now.
One candidate sold a new day undefined and the other an old day unvarnished. We know what wins.
Remember when people were asking Joe how he'd feel if he stayed in the race and lost? Seems a pretty smug question today.
Joe's greatest sin was timing. He should have removed himself from the 2024 presidential race before the primaries, giving a potential successor the chance to compete and rise above the crowd and win the approval of the voting public.
But politicians rarely know when to get off the stage.
Kamala was not incapable of being President of the United States, but she was incapable of getting elected. She, like anyone else whose name is on the ballot, needed the experience and affirmation that comes with primary season in the big show. She wasn't ready and that boils down to a party problem.
Kamala was incapable primarily because her party is incapable. It's arguable that the Democratic party isn't even a national party anymore. They sure aren't in eastern Kentucky.
The party is incapable because they've lost the ability to present a narrative that resonates in any way with the everyday working American.
Since the pandemic, the economy of the United States has weathered worldwide inflation and been the engine that has powered the world economy while others continue to suffer from inflation and/or recession. U.S. unemployment has been at all time lows, salaries have risen across the board, and more Americans started new businesses than ever before.
How often did you hear that from the party or in the media? From anywhere? You really didn't. If the Democratic party really had a plan, every time a question on inflation came up, the response would have been "you mean worldwide inflation? It's bad but thanks to our policies, we've weathered it better than any other country. Here's how."
Worldwide inflation is a lot harder to pin to a president than national inflation, a fact evidently lost on the Democratic machine. When the facts are on your side, you still should use them, even in a post-truth society.
Here's the bottom line. It's the bottom line. "He's bad", no matter how true, is not a winning narrative. As much as we'd love it to be, "they'll take your rights", no matter how true, is not a winning narrative.
Carville was right. It's the economy stupid. It will always be the economy stupid in presidential elections because that sways the independent voter. If people think you're more concerned with pronouns than the price of bread, you just aren't going to get elected.
That last sentence is the kind of thing that could get me cancelled in some Democratic circles. I'll take my chances. Judge not lest ye be judged are words to live by for all political persuasions.
Perhaps being a bit slower to take offense and a lot less judgemental would also be in the Democrat's best interest when it comes to winning back the electorate.