Hardkill

Part of what you’re saying is true, but OP is right. Democrats have been terrible at messaging for decades. They used to be masters at it when the New Deal coalition was around. Examples of top Democratic slogans back in those days were: FDR’S New Deal Truman’s Fair Deal JFK’s New Frontier LBJ’s Great Society They also used the bully pulpit far more frequently to get their messages across much more consistently. Actually, Bill Clinton’s Bridge into the 21st century slogan was strong. Though Clinton himself didn’t use the bully pulpit forcefully enough. Obama’s Hope and Change fully resonated powerfully with Americans. Yet, he hardly used the bully pulpit to push his liberal agenda because he was too afraid of being perceived as being “too partisan.” Biden couldn’t communicate well enough for obvious reasons. Not to mention that his slogan “Build Back Better” didn’t make sense and was boring. Corporate Democrats and progressives still to this day can’t come up with a set of fiery cohesive messages that represent the party’s agenda. Plus, Democrats for decades generally haven’t had as much of a spine as Republicans do, which is why Democrats are often too afraid to say anything that might sound too offensive or come off as “too far to the left” for any group of people within their coalition. Plus, the party has to cater to too many moderates who are just too disaffected to fight for what’s right for our country and Liberals/progressives sadly make up the smallest percentage of voters in the country. Republicans have a much more homogeneous coalition of voters, most of whom are racist white Christians with intense religious dogma and are addicted to hyper-capitalism. That’s why virtually all of them firmly believe in protecting all white American traditions and the rich at all of costs out of fear of that “our country is dying because of those radical left commies are destroying it!” They no longer have to worry about winning over moderates because of how far to the right the whole GOP has gotten, which sadly is still working for them.

We probably shouldn't. George Washington was right when he said that having a duopoly in politics was a mistake. I wish we could have a multi-party system like in Canada, but of course that's never going to happen for the foreseeable future either.

There would be much less of a difference in voting for either party just like how similar the parties were during the mid-1900s. Maybe that could heal the country from the terrible divisions in our country while accelerating the destabilization of our existing system until the country is forced to radically transform into a more progressive country.

It's the only thing that has ever worked in the past ever since big money in politics corrupted the whole political system. I frankly don't see the Democratic leadership moving to the left anytime soon. If anything they might be more inclined more and more and more back to the center like what happened after George McGovern's failed presidential campaign in 1972. I hope I am wrong.

I think we may also need to be as racist and xenophobic as the Republicans are while running on either more economic populism or more pro-corporatism.

I don't see how those seeds will ever grow in our lifetimes.

It worked in the 90s and it worked during Obama's presidency; albeit Obama was more of a liberal Democrat than Clinton was.

Yeah, like should Carville, Schumer, Pelosi, the Obamas, Manchin, and the Clintons, be like: "SHUT UP Bernie and AOC! You guys have done enough damage to our party! None of you have ever represented what the country really wants! All of you Greenpeace hippies with all of your pie-in-the-sky ideas never worked and are never going to work for us substantively or politically! Everything you touch turns to shit! Most of you guys can't even win elections! You either move more to the middle with us or your political careers will be over!"

Sorry, I am not just trying to sound doom and gloom. I am just trying to understand all this from both a pragmatic and rational viewpoint. Do you think that Bernie's movement was a big mistake and should the Democratic party just reject the progressives and their ideas and just go back to full-throated centrism like Bill Clinton in the 90s moving forward from a strategic viewpoint? If I am not mistaken, haven't you been implying that Democrats should run more on centrist ideas?

It looks like the police have caught the killer, thanks to a McDonald's employee who called the police after the suspect was seen at the restaurant: https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/brian-thompson-unitedhealthcare-death-investigation-12-9-24/index.html

You argue that America will never be ready to move beyond neoliberalism and that it's a mistake to keep attacking centrism and centrists. I get the point you're making, especially considering that Trump just got elected president again, how much the country will likely regress during the next four years under him, and the great long-term damage he will do to this country, affecting generations to come. You say that Trump's second term will cause the federal courts to shift even further to the right and that this shift will likely remain in place for decades to come. Therefore, the federal courts may end up blocking and undoing every progressive legislation and executive order enacted during the next 3 or 4 decades or so. Then again, I know you're still a progressive at heart and still advocate for promoting progressive policies wisely. So, then should all progressives just completely surrender to both conservatism and centrism for say the next 10 to 50 years? Should the Democratic party move back to the center or just stop moving more to the left??

Maybe the Democrats might’ve won if Harris ran more to the left, but you don’t know that for certain. Again, the primary obvious factors that cause Harris and the Democrats to lose were the explosion of unprecedented misinformation/internet brainwashing, Dems’ faulty media strategy in a fractious media environment world wide anti-incumbent over inflation and the establishment, racism, misogyny, xenophobia (especially after the historic immigration surge under Biden and the Democrats), Harris having run a very late and short campaign, and less party unity amongst Dems than we thought. I don’t see how a much stronger and more talented candidate than Harris could’ve defeated Trump and his party. The only way the Dems could’ve had a better shot was having a much better media strategy in this new Age media environment.

Vlad says that it probably will get worse for the country like it did for Libya after the fall of Gaddafi or like what happened to Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein:

No, I get that, but you've been saying that there has been a backlash against society due to the excessive amount of progressive attacks on neoliberalism and centrism. So, do you think for the time being that progressives and Democrats should stop trying to run on a more progressive platform for the next few decades given where we are at and what's going to happen to the whole system even after Trump himself is gone? Do you think that the Overton window will shift back more to the right? Should the platform of the Democratic party as a whole move a lot more back to the center like during Bill Clinton's presidency in the 1990s or move somewhat back to the center, but still be liberal overall like during Obama's presidency? Or should they just stick with being as left-wing as the party has become now and wait for another real chance to implement more of the same kind of progressive-leaning policies someday? Or should the Democratic party actually keep incrementally shifting more to the left as time goes on in the hopes of being able to implement an even bolder progressive-leaning agenda whenever they get a real shot to do so in the future?

He could become the most dangerous radical right-wing FBI director in US History if confirmed by the Senate.

I worked with ChatGPT on coming up with a pretty detailed breakdown of the US political spectrum 1. Far-Left/Radical: This segment includes individuals and groups advocating for significant social, economic, and political change. They may support policies such as universal healthcare, free higher education, wealth redistribution through taxation, environmental regulations, and social justice initiatives. Some far-left groups may advocate for socialism or even more radical ideologies. Examples of Ideologies: Revolutionary socialism, anarchism, communism, libertarian socialism including hardline anarcho-syndicalism and hardline social anarchism, and extreme left-wing populism. Examples of Groups/Organizations: Socialist Alternative, Revolutionary Communist Party, USA, Antifa, TYT (after they became vitriolic), Secular Talk (after it became vitriolic), Majority Report (though a bit more reasonable than TYT, Secular Talk, and other progressive YT channels), Vaush (also a bit more reasonable than TYT, Secular Talk, and other progressive YT channels), and Rational National (before it became vitriolic). Examples of Individuals: Angela Davis (activist and former member of the Communist Party USA), Richard Wolff (Marxist economist and advocate for worker cooperatives), Jill Stein, Rashida Tlaib, Infrared (Haz), Eugene V. Debs., and Norman Thomas. Left-wing/Progressive: Progressives advocate for social, economic, and political reform to address issues such as income inequality, healthcare access, environmental protection, and social justice. They support policies like Medicare for All, tuition-free public college, a Green New Deal, criminal justice reform, and LGBTQ+ rights. Progressives can vary in their positions from center-left to left-wing, depending on specific policy preferences. Examples of Ideologies: Democratic socialism, social democracy, progressivism, pragmatic variation of anarcho-syndicalism, left-wing libertarianism, left-wing populism, and left-wing Independents. Examples of Groups/Organizations: Abolitionist movement, civil rights movement, Knights of Labor, 19th century People's Party, People's Party (1971), People's Party (formed in 2017), Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Center for American Progress, other left-wing think tanks, Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) Networks, Worker Cooperatives and Employee-Owned Businesses, Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), Sustainable Business Networks, Social Enterprise Networks, and other left-wing business networks, Justice Democrats, Sunrise Movement, UAW, Rational National (before it became vitriolic), Democracy Now!, Jacobin, Current Affairs, The Intercept, TYT (before they became vitriolic), Secular Talk (before it became vitriolic), Majority Report, Vaush, Pod Save America, Michael Moore Podcast, Actualized.org. Examples of Individuals: Thaddeus Stevens, Frederick Douglass, Radical Republicans such as Ulysses S. Grant, William Jennings Bryan, Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, FDR, MLK, Malcolm X, Lyndon B. Johnson, Bernie Sanders (U.S. Senator and democratic socialist), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (U.S. Representative and progressive advocate), Elizabeth Warren (U.S. Senator and progressive Democrat), Sherrod Brown, John Fetterman, Ruben Gallego, Jamaal Bowman, Ro Khanna, Katie Porter, Barbara Lee, Ilhan Omar, Pramila Jayapal, David Pakman, Brian Tyler Cohen, IRI, Destiny, Michael Moore, Leo Gura, Noam Chomsky, Paul Krugman, Joseph Stiglitz, Mark Zandi, Ron Klain, and Shawn Fain. Center-Left/Moderate Liberal/Liberal: This group occupies a more centrist position, advocating for pragmatic solutions that balance progressive goals with fiscal responsibility and market-based approaches. They may support policies like a public option for healthcare, moderate tax reforms, and incremental changes to address social issues. Centrist Democrats often emphasize bipartisanship and compromise. Liberals typically emphasize a balance between individual rights and the role of government in addressing social and economic issues. They often advocate for reforms within the existing political and economic systems, supporting policies such as expanding access to healthcare through private or public means, promoting incremental changes to address social inequalities, and favoring market-based solutions alongside government intervention. Examples of Ideologies: Liberalism, pragmatic progressivism, center-left populism, and left-leaning Independents. Examples of Groups/Organizations: Progressive Policy Institute, Center for American Progress, other center-left think tanks, more moderate factions within the Democratic Party, labor unions, the Kennedy family (except RFK jr.), the Warren Court, Keynesian economics, New Keynesian economics, Social Venture Network (SVN), B Lab, Conscious Capitalism, Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE), Corporate Responsibility Association (CRA), and other center-left business networks, MSNBC. Examples of Individuals: Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, Ulysses S. Grant, Samuel J. Tilden, James Garfield, Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, FDR, Truman, JFK, Lyndon B. Johnson, Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden (President of the United States), Kamala Harris (Vice President of the United States), Pete Buttigieg (Secretary of Transportation and former presidential candidate), Al Gore, Chuck Schumer, Dick Durbin, Sherrod Brown, Raphael Warnock, Jon Ossoff, Nancy Pelosi (one of the greatest US Speakers of the US House in US history), Samuel Rayburn (also said to be one of the greatest Speakers of the US House in US history), Jim Clyburn, Adam Schiff, Alex Padilla, Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer, Josh Shapiro, Wes Moore, Tim Walz, J.B. Pritzker, Justice Elena Kegan, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Jack Smith, John Maynard Keynes, Jason Furman, Larry Summers, Paul Krugman, Nouriel Roubini, Mark Zandi, Claudia Sahm, Paul Volcker, Timothy Geithner, Janet Yellen, Rob Rubin, Gene Sperling, Steve Rattner, Brian Deese, Ron Klain, Lael Brainard, Jack Lew, Antony Blinken, and Eric Holder. Centrist/Moderate: Centrists prioritize pragmatism and moderation, seeking to find common ground between left and right-wing perspectives. They may support a mix of progressive and conservative policies, depending on the issue, and generally prioritize compromise and cooperation over ideological purity. Centrists often value stability and incremental change over radical reforms. Example of Ideologies: Pragmatism, moderation, bipartisanship, political Independence, centrism-populism, and possibly extreme centrism. Examples of Groups/Organizations: New Democrat Coalition, Blue Dog Coalition, other conservative Democrats, Republican Main Street Partnership, Rockefeller Republican, other moderate and liberal Republicans left today, Independents, Third Way, Neoliberals, Bipartisan Policy Center, No Labels, Problem Solvers Caucus, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, and the Stone Court. Examples of Individuals: George Washington, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, James K. Polk, Zachary Taylor, Abraham Lincoln, Rutherford B. Hayes, Eisenhower, Richard Nixon (was in many ways the last liberal president in policy before Obama), Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Joe Lieberman, Ross Perot, Doug Jones (former U.S. Senator known for bipartisan approach), Jon Tester, Susan Collins (U.S. Senator known for moderate positions), Larry Hogan, Joe Manchin (U.S. Senator known for his very bipartisan stance and very heavy influence from corporate donors) and Kyrsten Sinema (known for her extreme bipartisan stance, lack of transparency, and very heavy influence from corporate donors), Josh Gottheimer, Abigail Spanberger, Jerome Powell, Ben Bernanke, Olivier Blanchard, Rob Rubin, Gene Sperling, Steve Rattner, and Merrick Garland. Center-Right/Moderate Conservative/Conservative: This segment of the spectrum advocates for limited government intervention in the economy, fiscal conservatism, and traditional social values. They may support policies such as lower taxes, deregulation, free-market healthcare solutions, and a strong national defense. Moderate conservatives may be more open to compromise on social issues like same-sex marriage and immigration reform. Examples of Ideologies: Conservatism, moderate Republicanism, center-right populism, right-leaning Independents Examples of Groups/Organizations: Republican Main Street Partnership, Rockefeller Republican, Blue Dog Coalition, other conservative Democrats, American Enterprise Institute, other center-right think thanks, US Chamber of Commerce, and other center-right business networks, The Ripon Society, the Vinson court, the Burger Court, the Rehnquist Court, the Roberts Court (before Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away and got replaced by Amy Coney Barrett), and some of the GOP Establishment. Examples of Individuals: John Adams, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, Chester A. Arthur, James Blaine, Benjamin Harrison, Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, William Taft, Herbert Hoover, Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon (also began the War on Drugs and the Southern Strategy), Gerald Ford, Nelson Rockefeller, George H.W. Bush, Joe Manchin, Kyrsten Sinema Ben Sasse, Colin Powell, John McCain, Adam Kinzinger, Mitt Romney (U.S. Senator known for moderate conservatism), Larry Hogan, Lisa Murkowski (U.S. Senator known for independent streak), Charlie Baker (Governor of Massachusetts and moderate Republican), Chris Christie, Josh Gottheimer, Hank Paulson, Jerome Powell, Jeremy Siegel (economist), Chief Justice Roberts, and Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Right-wing/Conservative/Traditionalist: Conservatives generally prioritize individual liberty, free-market principles, and traditional social values. They advocate for limited government, lower taxes, deregulation, and a strong national defense. They may oppose progressive policies like affirmative action, gun control, and government-run healthcare. Socially, they often support traditional family values, religious freedom, and stricter immigration policies. Examples of Ideologies: Conservatism, fiscal conservatism, free-market capitalism, traditional values, right-wing libertarianism, right-wing populism, and right-wing Independents. Examples of Groups/Organizations: Heritage Foundation, Cato Institute, Hoover Institute, Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, Family Research Council, Club for Growth, other conservative think tanks, most of the GOP Establishment, the Roberts Court (currently), the Hughes Court, US Chamber of Commerce, and other center-right business networks. Examples of Individuals: James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Ronald Reagan, Donald Trump, John Bolton, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Mike Pence, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley (former Governor of South Carolina and conservative Republican), Mitch McConnell, John Thune, Tim Scott, Lindsey Graham, Karl Rove, Newt Gingrich, John Boehner, Paul Ryan, Kevin McCarthy, Mike Johnson, Pat Buchanan, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Justice Neil Gorsuch, Justice Samuel Alito, Justice Clarence Thomas, Roger Ailes, Rush Limbaugh, Tucker Carlson, Ben Shapiro (conservative commentator and author), Robert Mercer, and other right-wing mega-donors, T.S. Eliot, Russell Kirk, William Randolph Hearst, William F. Buckley Jr., Ayn Rand, Milton Friedman, Friedrich Hayek, Alan Greenspan, Steven Mnuchin, Donald Rumsfeld, Rex Tillerson, Mike Pompeo, and William Barr. Far-Right/Reactionary: This segment encompasses individuals and groups with extreme right-wing views, often advocating for a return to traditional social hierarchies, nationalist policies, and authoritarianism. Far-right ideologies may include elements of racism, xenophobia, and white nationalism. They often oppose immigration, multiculturalism, and international cooperation in favor of a more isolationist or nationalist agenda. Examples of Ideologies: Nationalism, white supremacy, authoritarianism, extreme right-wing populism Examples of Groups/Organizations: Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, Qanon, American Renaissance, FOX news, OANN, Newsmax, Evangelical/Fundamentalist Christians, and the Roberts Court (currently). Examples of Individuals: A majority of Republican/conservative elites in the US, right-wing mega-donors, Donald Trump, MAGA Republicans, Steve Bannon (former White House Chief Strategist and far-right nationalist), Ted Cruz (U.S. Senator and conservative Republican), Pat Buchanan, Newt Gingrich, Marjorie Taylor Greene (U.S. Representative known for promoting conspiracy theories), Mike Johnson, Lauren Boebert, Matt Gaetz, Chip Roy, Jim Jordan, Vivek Ramaswamy, Justice Samuel Alito, Justice Clarence Thomas, Richard Spencer (white nationalist and alt-right leader), Roger Ailes, Rush Limbaugh, Tucker Carlson, Alex Jones, Charlie Kirk, Robert Mercer, and other right-wing mega-donors. There is some overlap with examples of each of these Individuals, Ideologies, and Group/Organizations put in each of their respective categories, but I think this is a good start. Let me know what any of you have to add to this breakdown. *Extreme/radical centrism actually hasn't been officially considered as being really within the center or anywhere else within the spectrum; however, one could argue that it would be at the very, very center of the spectrum, but it is just as dysfunctional as any kind of extreme/radical left-wing ideology or any sort of extreme/radical right-wing ideology, in its own way. I want to say that both Manchin and Sinema and other right-wing corporate Democrats like them have been contributing to the problems we have today that are usually attributed to radical centrism. No Labels definitely smells like a major contributor to extreme centrism and corporate extremism. Then again, populist movements can also emerge in the center of the political spectrum, advocating for reforms to address perceived government corruption, bureaucratic inefficiency, or political gridlock. Centrist populists may prioritize anti-establishment rhetoric and propose policies aimed at increasing transparency, accountability, and responsiveness in government. **Given that the use of the terms far-left, left-wing, center-left, centrist, center-right, right-wing, and far-right/Reactionary officially didn't begin to be used until around the turn of the 20th century in the US, we (including the AI) can only make best guesses as to which political figures before around the year 1900 were in which category on the political spectrum. All of them before 1900 were probably either some kind of centrist or barely at the center-left or barely at the center-right, except for James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Thaddeus Stevens, and Frederick Douglass. James Buchanan and Andrew Johnson were staunch conservative presidents, right before and right after the Civil War respectively, both of whom strongly opposed civil rights for African Americans. Buchanan in particular was very pro-slavery, and was party responsible for the conditions that led to the outbreak of the Civil War. Thaddeus Stevens and Frederick Douglass, on the other hand, were probably firmly left-wing political leaders as they were fierce social justice warriors who fought like hell to abolish slavery and make the federal government grant all African-Americans American citizenship and every civil right/liberty. ***Nobody really knows what Trump is or what he truly stands for. However, he clearly is striving to be the dictator of the USA and is doing everything he can to escape justice for everything he has done.

Hey Leo, I've noticed that you have become way more cynical and disgusted with American society lately. Like, more than ever before. I get it, though. After Trump won the 2024 election, I've been enraged too. The whole system really has let us down. Our country's become so rotten. It's truly disheartening to see the US, which once seemed like a beacon of hope and progress, now plagued by such systemic issues and moral decay. America has really become the most corrupt first-world country on the planet, and it's headed in the wrong direction. As you know, the erosion of trust in institutions, the widening wealth gap, and the blatant disregard for human rights and democracy are just a few examples of the country's downward spiral. It's a pretty bleak picture. Even you, Leo, seem to have lost so much hope. Your usual enthusiasm and optimism appear to have given way to despair and frustration. It's as if you've thrown up your hands, acknowledging that the whole society is so broken that the only way it can make any real progress ever again is if it completely tears itself down and starts over. If I understand you correctly, it doesn't look like any more real progress will be coming for the foreseeable future. You seem to think that we'll be stuck in this rut for decades. So, what's keeping you here? Why not just leave the country and move somewhere that's more evolved, more just, and more in line with what you believe in?

I see.... Of course no one knows exactly what will happen, but in the grand scheme of things, will Democrats ever have a real shot of enacting any more new liberal policies 4 to 8 years from now?

No, I know that we can't win every political battle, and if we had a more normal Reagan/Bush type of Republican president and if there weren't too many extreme MAGA type of Republicans in both chambers of Congress, then I could completely live with all of that. I also get that devilry eventually loses in the end and that Republicans could lose power if they are held responsible again for another severe crisis that occurs under their watch someday in the future (unless the right-wing propaganda protects them from ever losing power). But what about the horrors of Trump's 2nd presidency? Perhaps, I am misunderstanding you. Were you to some degree being hyperbolic about the consequences of a Trump and MAGA win in 2024? I'm wondering if you truly believe that democracy and many of our freedoms will more than likely be gone after Trump is done with his 2nd term. Do you think there's any real chance that Democrats could enact any more meaningful liberal or progressive policies within the next 10 to 30 years? Or will Democrats from now on be limited to maintaining the liberal and progressive policies they've enacted since the 1900s, even if they regain power at the national level, for at least a generation or two? Despite how corrupt America has gotten, do you still want to stay in the country because you still want to fight back?

You know, I had a lot of respect for Carville, but I think he may need to hang up his boots. He hasn't had a good record of predicting elections and many of his strategies no longer for the Democratic party anymore.

The Democratic Party had a robust primary process in 2016, but Hillary Clinton still lost to Trump. In fact, the contentious primary battle between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton throughout 2016 ultimately divided and weakened the Democratic Party, which was the incumbent party at the time. That damaged her chances of winning the election, which consequently led to her and her party losing to Trump and his party in 2016. Specifically, the intraparty infighting that occurred under the watch of the incumbent party holding the White House, Obama and the Democrats, led to many people in the country questioning the Democratic party's governance. This widespread questioning, in turn, caused too many voters in the general election to feel discontent with the Democratic party. That, of course, gave Trump and his party enough ammunition to capitalize on the Democratic Party's weaknesses, ultimately leading to voters choosing change by voting out the Democratic party and voting the Republican party into power.

You really are so naive, aren’t you? You actually believe that Trump is going to put an end to the war himself? Only, Russia and Ukraine will decide when the war will end.

As much as I think that Hasan Piker often comes off as an obnoxious blowhard like Cenk, I have to say that in this interview he did with Jon Lovett he gave really good commentary, in a reasonable manner, on how Democrats need to communicate to the voters better and how they need to fight corporate greed even harder for the working-class, middle class, and working poor:

For decades, Democrats have been so much worse at messaging than the Republicans have been! This cannot be overstated! The Democratic Party must revamp its messaging strategy to counter the Republicans' effective use of emotional appeals and simplistic messaging. They also MUST adapt and evolve their messaging strategy to effectively utilize the latest digital platforms, social media, and communication technologies like the Republicans/conservatives have. Democrats can no longer rely on the mainstream media as their main source of messaging to the voters: https://www.messageboxnews.com/p/do-dems-need-to-break-up-with-the Otherwise, Democracy will truly die in darkness in America.

According to this Newsweek article: "Between when Harris officially became the Democratic nominee on August 1 and November 2, Trump held a total of 46 rallies and other large-scale events in 15 states across the country. Harris held 39 rallies and other large-scale events in 11 states." https://abcnews.go.com/538/trump-holding-campaign-events-harris/story?id=114567436 So, he didn't do that much more than rallies and events than she did by the end. However, he came off as increasingly fatigued and showed more signs of dementia because of his age and poor health. Harris came off much more lively and young than he did. I don't know where you got information on JD Vance being more popular than Tim Walz. Every pundit and strategist thought that Vance was such an unlikeable and uncharismatic candidate. https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/jd-vance-unpopularity-vice-presidential-debate-b2622275.html Tim Walz, on the other hand, was arguably the most popular and charismatic VP candidate since Teddy Roosevelt in 1900. In fact, he turned out to be more popular than either Vance, Trump, or Harris. https://www.economist.com/united-states/2024/10/01/tim-walz-is-the-most-popular-candidate-on-either-ticket I am getting sick and tired of people who say that Democrats trying to cover up Biden’s cognitive decline was a scandal. That wasn't a crime like how Trump raped E. Jean Carroll, how he tried to overturn the 2020 election, how he incited the capitol riot insurrection, how he willingly stole classified documents and not fully cooperating with law enforcement to give them back after left office, how he committed business fraud countless times, or the election interference case involving Trump paying off that pornstar to keep quiet about it. Biden and the Democrats committed no crimes that broke any laws and didn't do anything that was an impeachable offense. Biden didn't even involve himself in any kind of wrongdoing such as having an extramarital affair during his time as president. I again acknowledge that he did a much better job of using the media environment to his strategy than Harris did, but that was the only thing he did that was really good for his campaign.