Andrew Yang was asked in a recent interview about what his “strategy” would be should he find himself in a general election debate with President Trump. His answer revealed the type of thinking among Democrats that’s going to lose them the election.
“I think I can eviscerate Trump in a debate stage in part because I would make him seem ridiculous,” said Yang. “I can poke fun at him in a way that other candidates can’t.”
This not unlike Joe Biden’s trite promise to beat Trump “like a drum.”
What Democrats don’t seem to understand, or perhaps do understand but won’t admit out loud, is that Trump is a great campaigner. And as absurd a figure as he might be, he’s not a joke.
Let’s not forget what happened in 2016. Trump, against all odds, tore through a field of highly accomplished Republicans, nearly all of whom were at one point believed to have been mint options for the nomination. One by one, senators, governors, and even a Bush were shredded to pieces on the campaign trail and on the debate stages.
Then there was Hillary Clinton, and for all her problems, she was still an exceptionally qualified candidate for president. She had all of the national media, all of Hollywood, and all of the Democratic Party at her side. Whom did Trump have? No one. Well, no one except the voters.
And remember the debates? Here’s a headline the New York Times ran on Oct. 9, 2015: “In Debate, Hillary Clinton will display skills honed over a lifetime.”
Here’s one from Vox on Sep. 27, 2016: “5 reasons debates showcase Hillary Clinton at her best.”
That turned out swimmingly for Clinton.
The truth is that Trump was successful because he’s quick, he’s forceful, and he has a message that appeals to a lot of people. Yang saying he’d deflate him because he knows how to “poke fun” is laughably naive. Trump is going to be incredibly difficult to defeat in the general election.
By the way, on Election Day in 2016, his favorability rating was 38%, according to the RealClearPolitics average. He still won, and that was before he even had a political record to show off. He has one now, and his job approval rating sits at 45%.
Good luck poking fun.
