Indeed, Biden’s NLRB and FTC appointees and the Inflation Reduction Act have ushered in a new era of worker and consumer power. “No one thought that UAW would win an election in the South to organize a plant–they just did,” Democratic political strategist J.J. Abbott said. Hughes advised the campaign to tout Biden’s accomplishments. It’s “a hell of a record,” he said. “Make this election about the people who will be impacted,” Abbott added. (Amending the administration’s policy in Gaza, it should be mentioned, did not come up.)
And yet, will trumpeting the administration’s accomplishments be enough to inoculate undecided voters against Trump’s libidinal appeal? Rick Wilson, speaking in a pre-recorded segment with TNR staff writer Walter Shapiro, wasn’t sure. “Democrats believe elections are about policy and not about emotions…. It’s gotta be more emotional and evocative and engaging.” But sounding the alarm about another Trump term isn’t enough. “Doom is not an inspiring strategy for getting people to go and vote,” said Abbott.
What is to be done, then, before November? Adeoye emphasized the importance of confirming liberal federal judges and, like Jong-Fast, suggested reauthorizing the Voting Rights Act. Kenner stressed that young voters, with whom Biden is suffering, must be engaged with. University of Pennsylvania law professor Claire Finkelstein had darker recommendations. “We need to put a lot of energy into the possibility that Trump will be elected,” she said. A potential Trump victory would mean special counsel Jack Smith will be fired, a possibility Finkelstein said Democrats must prepare for by reexamining Special Counsel laws to “imbue [special counsels and the Justice Department] with more independence.”
