How Republicans Narrowed the Gap in the Election
The GOP relied on the president’s flair for the theatrical plus a lot of old-fashioned canvassing
With Election Day here, Republicans are feeling more optimistic about the prospects for Donald Trump’s reelection than they have in weeks, thanks to Trump’s improved poll numbers, a strong economic rebound in the third quarter, and mammoth crowds that have turned out for the president’s rallies despite an ongoing pandemic.
Trump has stumped the country in recent days with an amplified version of his long-standing laundry list of grievances, grudges, and resentments. Appearing on stages alongside a video of Biden gaffes and stumbles (punctuated with commentary from Fox News host Sean Hannity), Trump unspools a tale of economic success and “winning, winning, winning.” In this narrative, the coronavirus is only a minor impediment: After all, he survived it, as did his wife and “very tall son,” Barron. In Trump’s telling, the only threat is Joe Biden, his constant lockdowns (Biden, of course, does not want to “cancel Christmas and Thanksgiving,” as Trump alleges, but for states to follow public health guidance), and his “socialist” sidekick, Kamala Harris. There are added wrinkles — and insults — depending on which state Trump is in. In places with Democratic governors like…
