01 May 2020

A preview of the Republican playbook for the fall election: CHINA CHINA CHINA

As reported last week by Politico:
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has sent campaigns a detailed, 57-page memo authored by a top Republican strategist advising GOP candidates to address the coronavirus crisis by aggressively attacking China.
The memo includes advice on everything from how to tie Democratic candidates to the Chinese government to how to deal with accusations of racism. It stresses three main lines of assault: That China caused the virus “by covering it up,” that Democrats are “soft on China,” and that Republicans will “push for sanctions on China for its role in spreading this pandemic.”
The document urges candidates to stay relentlessly on message against the country when responding to any questions about the virus. When asked whether the spread of the coronavirus is Trump’s fault, candidates are advised to respond by pivoting to China.
“Don’t defend Trump, other than the China Travel Ban — attack China,” the memo states. 
Republicans have indicated they plan to make China a centerpiece of the 2020 campaign. Trump’s reelection campaign recently released a web video painting Joe Biden as cozy with the authoritarian country. The pro-Trump super PAC America First Action has launched several TV commercials tying Biden to China.

7 comments:

  1. This strikes me as a pretty good but incomplete strategy. Not everything can be answered with "China". The Trump campaign needs additional avenues of attack.

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    1. They also have Biden/Ukraine which is widely accepted as true among their base and the Dems served him up on his senile old platter to get destroyed by Trump+Russia.

      Both parties need officially deconstructed.

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  2. It says something when a sitting president's own party considers him indefensible, but of course wants to reelect him anyway.

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  3. This is utterly depressing.

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  4. If only someone would put as much energy into solving these urgent problems as they are putting into assigning blame :(
    What's the value in being leader of a country if you let the country totally fall apart?

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  5. Biden seems to be hopping on this playbook as well. Really not looking forward to the spike in racism and xenophobia this is going to fuel. We are going to see a lot of hate crimes against Chinese-Americans (and Asian-Americans in general) over the rest of the year, I think.

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  6. Doesn't the president have huge loans in China? Doesn't that family use Chinese construction companies in the Middle east and have multiple patent rights in China? I'm wondering how that will play?
    And the racism? Those chickens have already come home to roost and they are about to start laying eggs.

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