Much of the talk coming out of the conventions has not been focused on too many issues. The primary story follows Biden’s reemergence and how it was a better idea for him not to emerge. His mounting examples of mental diminishment have been what most have either covered, or attempted to cover up. But along the way there has been the strained effort to get a campaign platform established, and the effect has been like watching them assemble an Ikea TV cabinet and struggling to get the toolbox opened.
What has been remarkable to behold is that the Democrats -- not only Kamala and her running mate, but the party in general -- seem unaware of what their own positions have been just months prior. In mystifying fashion, since the ticket has been established, all concerned appear oblivious to where they have previously stood on particular issues.
It has been comical to watch the past week or so as Kamala, Biden, and the back-slapping journalists have made a tire-screeching turnaround on the matter of violent protests. After months of either tacit approval or vocal support of looting and riots suddenly Joe and the KHive have announced the importance of peace, urging for an end to the violence. While it is a welcomed message, the most common response when seeing Democrats imploring people to not resort to violence is, ‘’Since when?!’’
This is more than a case of a Democrat mayor announcing they want no federal intervention to curtail violence in the city, like what happened in Minneapolis. And Portland. And Seattle, Chicago, Kenosha, and elsewhere. It was also that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were notably quiet for months on the matter, with Kamala promoting crowdsourcing efforts to free those arrested in the skirmishes. They were clearly content to let the violence unspool as they counted on the jarring imagery to be something they could lay at the feet of President Trump. That was until they saw poll numbers showing voter resistance to the unrest.
But the Democrats began having messaging problems during their convention. On the second evening of their infomercial the Democrats had a strong focus on the economy, announcing the need to bring back jobs in America. This was a tough sell, considering they are the party that has consistently fought against every stage of reopening our economy. In New York Andrew Cuomo and Bill de Blasio face a $2 billion class action lawsuit from restaurant owners over the refusal to open the city to patrons. Not sure how the Democrats want to announce a need to get us back to work when they are the party arresting people who attempt to open up their businesses.
Just after the convention the candidates ran into another unforced error. In a primetime sit-down interview with Robin Roberts for ABC News, Kamala and Joe announced how they were in favor of funding police departments nationwide, and that it was Donald Trump who had actually defunded the police. It was a ludicrous claim, but more than that it ran headlong into the messaging from the left since May. Their own party has supported the concept of defunding cops, and here they were, not only defying that effort but declaring that President Trump was the one who is on the side of the Black Lives Matter movement. Quite the curious policy stance.
One of the latest conflicts is another complete turnaround deriving from an inability to do basic research. The Democrat Party appears to have been overly focused on its desired agenda during the lengthy debate schedule. Recall how the herd of candidates were becoming more and more extreme in the left-wing proposals, all in an attempt to earn notice in the media and with voters. Extremist giveaways and "On my first day as President…" promises were getting outlandish, but now that the campaign is in general election mode the need to appeal to the undecided center means a return to normalcy -- and they have gone so far left the center may be out of their line of sight.
Fracking is an important issue in a state like Pennsylvania, and both Harris and her running mate have come forward to declare how they support the drilling of natural gas. Except -- both have been on the record pledging to end the practice. This is not a wan charge of a candidate flip-flopping from a years-old policy position. Both Harris and Biden have promised to eliminate fracking during the Democratic debates on this campaign. How can they possibly sell themselves as believable on the issue when they are seen as being completely malleable based on their audience?
To see just how unorganized and unfocused the campaign operation has been look at an issue that is new and benign. Joe Biden has made numerous claims about a public mask mandate to battle the pandemic. That he says this at a time when the virus contagion is clearly waning and people are anywhere from eager to desperate to move past this hysteria is one problem, but there is something indicating a disconnect in the party.
Last week Joe was declaring that once elected he will push for a national mask mandate. At the same time Harris has been soft-pedaling this call, describing it as a "standard" they wanted to propose. The fact that the two names at the top of the ticket could not get into agreement on this issue is glaring. How do they go out to separate interviews without an agreed-upon message on one of their main issues? It became even worse as Joe altered course and then announced his call for a mask requirement was going to follow the Constitution, and now calls it "pressure," rather than a legal mandate.
To say the Democrats have all sorts of messaging problems is becoming obvious, but there is one other detail coming into clear focus -- the press outwardly supporting the Democrats. With this growing list of policy turnabouts note how little criticism they are receiving over a practice that in elections past had been considered damaging. Instead of dragging the candidates over these blatant shifts in core beliefs the press is trying to drag them across the finish line.