Switcheroo. This American Carnage

"So wrong for so long."

Click: 30 seconds

    Trump anti-Biden ad

Just four months ago Trump was running on his record. Things were great in America. 

No need to "Make America Great Again." It was "Keep America Great."

That was then.

The stock market was high. Interest rates were low. Unemployment was low. Trump was saying he had made things great for Black people. The virus was China's problem, no big deal, and it would go away magically.  Remember?

I watched two hours of cable TV news yesterday evening--MSNBC and CNN--and saw this ad four different times. Ads have titles: "Joe Biden: So wrong for so long."

Joe Biden image in ad

One purpose of the ad is to split news-consuming Democratic voters, pushing Bernie Sanders progressives to agitate to replace Biden, and if they fail, to stay home or vote Green in November. After all, Biden represents the miserable past and status quo. Progressive voters are the portion of American electorate most unhappy with economy's structure and income distribution, even in the supposed "good old days" prior to February. The progressive critique was that corruption by the financial and political elites was endemic, that working people were systematically oppressed, that income distributions were so skewed, that only significant reform--maybe political "revolution"--could redress the grievances since incumbent politicians were corrupted by the process. Biden was there, in office for 40 years. Why would anyone expect real change to come from Biden? 

The images surrounding Biden are of decay: one factory abandoned, another in rubble, and then Biden himself, looking vacant-eyed and frail. The ad ends with Trump's voice sounding vigorous. Biden equals old; Trump equals new. Trump is the outsider demanding change.  

The world changed out from under Trump, and this is easy adjustment for him. Trump has a message of grievance and this puts him back into his comfort zone, unhappy and accusatory. Blame Biden.

Trump's base responds to a grievance message. The failure of Republicans to replace the ACA with something new and better reveals the simple reality that the GOP under Trump has no consensus on a positive vision other than reducing taxes for large businesses. Republicans have consensus on what they are against.

Meta: Fox outrage, describing outrage, over media outrage.

Fox News has a formula, evident from even brief viewing, and described by former FoxNews producers. It echos and amplifies the Trump grievance message. News producers are instructed to find stories with the message of outrage that its audience is put upon, abused, attacked, insulted, condescended to, and lied to. Feel aggrieved? Blame Biden. 

The ad is a head's up to Democrats that there is danger in a message of calm and return to normalcy. Trump isn't sitting still for that. Trump defines that era as carnage and misery. It isn't Biden's nature, and he may not have it in him, and it was not how he won the nomination, but he needs to communicate energy for positive change. He must not let himself be the status quo candidate. Democrats elect young, vigorous presidents. 

Biden needs to step up with a message of hope and change. He cannot simply fix the Trump problem. He needs to show he can fix America's problems.