Originally Posted by Stophel
Originally Posted by Tarquin
They're trying to appeal to the moderate middle. Joe's Leftist support is not going anywhere. Tjhey're certainly not staying home when they've been motivated enough to burn down half the country.

Exactly. The votes of the hardcore left are cemented. The votes of the hardcore Trump supporters are cemented too. Obviously. The debates mean nothing to either of them other than to give them an opportunity to say "My guy beat the pants off your guy!". But none of that matters. The debates, and the advertising that will fill the airwaves through to election day are... or should be.. all about coaxing those middle-of-the-roaders to vote for candidate A or candidate B. The Caspar Milquetoasts. The "I don't pay too much attention to politics" people. The undecideds. And yes, there are still some of those out there, and yes, the candidates NEED those votes. And while Biden certainly did not present himself as much of a candidate, Trump showed himself as a type of candidate that probably just turns off these undecided voters.

What the candidates say is not nearly as important as HOW they say it. In fact, what they say (or do) is not really important at all to a great many people. It's all about looks. Perception. Feelings. Sad, but true.

It's not that simple. Yes, those middle voters are up for grabs and matter. But voter turnout matters also. And base motivation impacts turnout. This is exactly why all the polls were wrong picking the 2016 winner. If 55% of the people SAY they're voting for someone, but those people are less motivated than the 45% of the people who say they're voting for the other guy, they can still lose. Biden sapped energy out of the far left motivation levels. How that all plays out at the sausage factory who knows. But the fact remains that there are two factors here at play- how the undecided swing AND the base motivation levels. And another important thing, most of the country is not riots in the streets. When you refer to people burning down cities, those are all places we're not winning anyway.


Progressives are the most open minded, tolerant, and inclusive people on the planet, as long as you agree with everything they say, and do exactly as you're told.