This is backfiring on them
Like a beat-up old jalopy, the right-wing outrage mobile keeps backfiring. Every time they step on the gas, it has the opposite intended effect, also known as the Streisand Effect. And it seems like the Harris-Walz campaign and Democrats are capitalizing on this phenomenon by using every right-wing distraction as a guide for their own messaging.
Examples of backfiring messages include: Fox News deceptively editing President Biden’s comment about threats of election day violence, which only focused attention on the January 6th insurrectionists; Jill Stein got her name on the ballot in Wisconsin, where Biden won in 2020, only to remind everyone that her 2016 third-party candidacy sabotaged Hillary Clinton’s election; Trump’s unhinged rally speeches have only magnified his fourth-grade speaking abilities, his racist obsession with genetics, and his lack of understanding how anything works.
And Democrats have been optimizing these distractions and bombshells. One shocking revelation from the new book by Bob Woodward that Trump shipped COVID testing equipment to Vladimir Putin, which Russia then corroborated, has been widely reported. Also, news that Trump and dozens of republicans were endorsed by a right-wing trophy hunting group that targets adorable pigmy hippos like the famous Moo Deng, has been making the rounds.
Democrats aren’t just boosting damaging bombshells. They are also highlighting the duds. The dockworkers strike that caused momentary panic about supply chain interruptions before the holidays – which was supposed to be Trump’s October surprise – ended after only two days, and made Biden look like a champion of unionized labor.
Democrats have also taken a creative approach to messaging. FEMA added a “Hurricane Rumor Response” page to their website telling the truth about FEMA’s heroic handling of the hurricanes. And Kamala Harris spoke directly to the Weather Channel’s 1.17 million subscribers.
Let’s not forget law enforcement. The FBI thwarted a planned election-day terrorist attack, sending two resounding messages: The intelligence community is keeping voters safe; and anyone planning terrorist attacks is under surveillance and will be caught.
Lastly, the Harris-Walz campaign shunned ruthless corporate-controlled media for a non-traditional media blitz, forcing Republicans to make panic moves. After Harris gave a powerful interview on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Trump was blindsided by his own handlers with a humiliating interview on the Flagrant podcast.
Then Elon Musk inexplicably tweeted to millions of his followers that Democrats don’t control the weather, causing a deranged Alt-Right uproar. We can expect more panicked messaging from Musk, given the latest New York Times bombshell that he has been coordinating with the Trump Campaign, in possible violation of campaign finance law.
For months, we have been bracing for right-wing distractions, manipulated polls, and violence. But around 25 days out, Republicans still have only one strategy: flood the zone with lies to force Democrats to redirect campaign resources. But the Harris campaign fundraising just hit $1 billion, compared to Trump’s $309 million. So, Democrats can still get the message out, and keep up the momentum by engaging prominent leaders to campaign, like Liz Cheney, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton, and who knows what else they have up their sleeves.
Republicans may own corporate media. But Democrats have been one step ahead on messaging. We have the truth, a proven successful platform, and a bigger, better megaphone.
Chicago native Lorraine Evanoff earned her degree in French from DePaul University then became a Certified Financial Manager. She worked as a finance exec in film production for seven years in Paris, then in Silicon Valley during the dot-com era, and later for various Hollywood production companies, notably as CFO of National Lampoon. She is currently living in Los Angeles with her husband.