In politics, there are usually two strategies to counter negative narratives about a candidate. On the one hand, a campaign can play defense and explain why a narrative is false. On the other hand, they can lean into the criticism and attempt to turn the tables by claiming it’s actually a good thing.
The problem with the latter strategy is that people have eyes and ears, and unless the situation is exceptionally unique, leaning into criticism usually only highlights the criticism further. Guess which path the Biden campaign has adopted to combat the fact that he’s old and senile?
Jill Biden is currently doing a “Seniors for Biden-Harris” tour through several swing states, including Nevada, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Her message? That her husband is “healthy” and “wise,” not hampered by being 81 years old, but helped by it.
“We can’t wake up on November 6 like we did in 2016 terrified of the future ahead of us,” Jill Biden told a crowd of seniors at a Reno, Nevada, pep rally.
“This election is about the character of the person leading our country,” the first lady said.
We’ll get to the age thing, but as political messaging goes, this opener is worth commenting on because it’s so spectacularly ineffective. Regardless of how many people woke up on November 6th, 2016, and were “terrified of the future,” what ultimately happened was mundane at best. Trump’s tenure was marked by sustained economic success and an unusual calm abroad. Only the COVID-19 pandemic, an exceptionally rare and uncontrollable event, managed to throw the former for a loop temporarily.