The Basement and the Bunker
It was barely a week ago when Joe Biden emerged from his basement and made his first campaign appearance in months. His singular, somber and mask wearing visit to a Delaware war memorial contrasted with President Trump’s near daily, mask free Covid-19 briefings and events.
Despite the president’s ownership of the airwaves since the shelter in place, Biden’s decision to stay at home was not only safe but politically beneficial. Our last blog covered the Electoral College cratering of support for the president Trump’s offense is his worst defense. Trump’s proclivity to place blame on everyone for the pandemic and inability to take responsibility has dealt a blow to his image. Crucial voting blocks — white college educated suburban women, voters over 65 and independents — view Trump as a weak leader in a crisis.
The murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, followed by the growing national protests for justice, has upended the presidential political landscape. Suddenly, the mask wearing Joe Biden has an opportunity to shine doing what he does best — relating to people in need of being heard. He’s been visiting with and listening to predominantly African-American Wilmington residents, community organizers and church leaders. Biden’s reputation as a person who understands, empathizes and offers a way forward exemplifies the leadership America so desperately needs.
Biden’s rising image and media presence as a caring leader has clearly unnerved the President. It sure didn’t help that the media reported on a President trapped in the White House, literally hiding in a bunker, as peaceful protestors outside rallied for justice in America.
The President followed up his disastrous “when the looting starts, the shooting starts” tweet with a June 1 manic Monday event to remember. The ever TV image conscious President, had the live split screen nightmare of the ages. The simultaneous live images of Trump saying he supports peaceful protestors and will use the military to restore law and order while the other screen shows police firing tear gas canisters and rubber bullets to disperse the law abiding demonstrators from Lafayette Park.
Turns out the President needed the park cleared so he could walk out of his home confinement for a photo op of him awkwardly holding a bible in front of St. Johns Episcopal Church. The optics were so bad, the bishop of the Episcopal Dioocese of Washington, the Reverend Mariann Budde ridiculed the President’s stunt “I am outraged…that they would be clearing with tear gas so they could use one of our churches as a prop, holding a Bible, one that declares that God is love and when everything he has said and done is to inflame violence.”
Trump ordered federal forces to violently attack demonstrators so he can have his church moment. The move may solidify his ego, but do nothing to help his re-election. Chances are he’ll lose more evangelical voters than he gains. These protests have indeed energized the Democratic base. Contributions to Act Blue have soared. Some young potential voters, particularly of African Americans, have signaled that Democrats and Biden will need to do more than pay lip service to ending police brutality. Monday’s split screen real time feed provides a stark image for voters and can only help solidify Biden’s support from young voters.
March, April and May were bad months for Trump — a Covid-19 pandemic, 40 million unemployed and an economic crisis. Added to this bad news cycle were images of armed Trump supporting liberators storming state capitols.
May ended with the nationwide response to one too many police killings. One played out so tragically for George Floyd over nearly nine excruciating minutes.
The President is off to a horrible start in June. In politics, timing and momentum are everything. Trump may be running out of both.
Scott Adams is Executive Creative Director for award-winning Green Alley Strategies, a creative campaign communications firm. www.greenalleystrategies.com
