What Biden, Harris, and the Dems Need to Do Next
In the first DNC episode of The New Abnormal, political strategist James Carville joins Rick and Molly to talk about a strategy that could work in Dems’ favor and RNC predictions.
Illustration by The Daily Beast
Night one of the Democratic National Convention is barely done. And Molly Jong-Fast and Rick Wilson are already previewing nights two, three, and four on a special edition of The New Abnormal … with a little help from James Carville, the legendary political strategist.
The thing to watch, he says? How much Joe Biden and Kamala Harris make this “about Trump and themselves, and how much of it is about voters. And the ratio that’s about voters should be at least two thirds,” Carville says.
“The great mistake of 2016 was that Trump would be so unacceptable that people wouldn't have a place to go,” he adds. “They did a good job tonight making it about the voter.”
So yeah, even though the first part of the convention’s first night was awkward and telethon-y, at least it kept the focus where it needed to be: on real voters, and their real struggles.
Rick nods, “In some ways I think there's an appeal to that. Ordinary people will watch that performance, and say, ‘Hey, you know, they're doing the best they can. They're struggling through this thing.’”
In other words, says Carville, “we just got to think like they think, not like we think.”
Plus, Molly says, “Bernie really delivered for Biden tonight.” But did the DNC really need the celebrity hosts? Really? Like Molly says, “It's not the Emmys.” Then! Rick muses about contracting herpes from a rabid badger. Carville wonders what genius thought attacking the post office was a good idea. And Don Jr. gets an extra pep in his step.
Listen to The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher.
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