Run Like A Republican

What Kamala Harris Should Do Now

Before I get to the main business of the day—which is how Kamala Harris should proceed from here—let me provide some context. This is what she is running against. From Donald Trump, yesterday:

"Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve - And never was! He only attained the position of President by lies, Fake News, and not leaving his Basement. All those around him, including his Doctor and the Media, knew that he wasn't capable of being President, and he wasn't. And now, look what he's done to our Country, with millions of people coming across our Border, totally unchecked and unvetted, many from prisons, mental institutions, and record numbers of terrorists. We will suffer greatly because of his presidency, but we will remedy the damage he has done very quickly. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

And J. D. Vance:

“Joe Biden has been the worst President in my lifetime and Kamala Harris has been right there with him every step of the way,” Vance tweeted. “Over the last four years she co-signed Biden’s open border and green scam policies that drove up the cost of housing and groceries. She owns all of these failures, and she lied for nearly four years about Biden’s mental capacity—saddling the nation with a president who can’t do the job.”

Vance, hyper-ambitious hypocrite that he is, also claimed that the only thing Harris ever did was “collect a check.”

These people are scum. They have no grace, no class, no conscience. They only know how to attack, and to lie. They debase our country. They play to the worst in us. So how do you run against them? Some thoughts about how Kamala Harris might do it:

1. Don’t rush. It may seem like time’s a wastin’ but chronology distends in a political campaign. Just think how different the world was a week ago. Trump’s brush with an assassin’s bullet seems ancient history now. So take your time, take care to think it through, especially when it comes to who you surround yourself with, and how you campaign, and what you say, and how you say it.

2. Embrace the Lincoln Project. Those guys really knew how to attack Trump. That’s because they’re Republicans and they don’t play nice. I mean this literally: the best political strategists out there are people like Steve Schmidt, Joe Trippi, Mike Murphy and Sarah Longwell. Hire them.

3. Say a fond and expeditious farewell to the Biden team—and don’t staff your campaign the way Biden did. This was his greatest weakness. He hired people for loyalty and never fired them, not even when it was clear that their sell-by date had passed. Most important, find at least one graybeard political veteran you trust—a peer—who can tell you when you’re wrong. Biden never did. You don’t need a full-fledged Team of Rivals but please, please no Team of Subordinates.

4. Before you give a major policy speech, hold a series of town meetings—and do it in places that are risky. Have one with Joe Manchin in West Virginia. Have another down by the border. Listen hard to the questions people are asking. Don’t squish your answers. Say what you think plain and strong. Don’t be afraid to say things like, “That’s an interesting question. Let me think about it. I promise I’ll get back to you.” But don’t do that too often.

5. Defend the Biden record, but don’t be afraid to disagree with him. You’re going to need to establish your strength and independence. In 1968, Hubert Humphrey was suffering under the burden of Lyndon Johnson’s legacy until he split with Johnson and came out against the war in Vietnam. His campaign took off immediately and he came within a hair of beating Richard Nixon.

6. Emphasize the Democrats’ strengths. Not just abortion, but also gun control—always remind people that Trump was shot by an AR-15—and the other triumphs Democrats are reluctant to publicize, like the surge in energy production and the belated closing of the Southern Border, where illegal crossings are way down. And don’t forget the growth in the value of 401Ks.

7. In 1976, Jerry Brown said of his opponent Jimmy Carter, “I’m to his left but also to his right.” Do that. Common sense doesn’t have an ideology. Don’t be afraid to go to Biden’s left on an issue or two—taking a stronger stand on a Gaza ceasefire and a two-state solution might be one of them; don’t be afraid to challenge your party’s left, especially when it comes to identity politics and idiot wokery.

8. Choose a Vice President for strength and character. There are plenty of choices. My favorite is Admiral William McRaven, who supervised the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. He can tell the global bad guys, “Don’t even think about it.” He can also say the same to the right-wing domestic lunatics. “Make Your Bed” is a great campaign meme.

9. Prosecute Trump. That shouldn’t be too hard. Call him out when he talks trash. “Donald, didn’t your mama teach you manners?” And, “Donald, loved seeing your beautiful grandchildren, do you want them to think that’s the way a President of the United States talks?” Focus on his narcissistic grotesquerie rather than the abstract “threat to democracy” argument. Attack him specifically. Mock him, needle him, shame him. He’ll hate that.

10. Don’t get too high-blown and lyrical. Speak like people talk. But don’t be afraid of what George H.W. Bush called “The Vision Thing.” It’s a narrow path, but Bill Clinton and Barack Obama negotiated it. Learn from them.

11. When you screw up—and you will—admit it and turn the page.

12. Run with joy and optimism, and good humor. Don’t let them mock your smile, but use it judiciously. Remember FDR’s favorite motto: Let Unconquerable Gladness Dwell.

Not much at stake here. Except everything. Go bring it home.