How can this not be an important opportunity for Biden:
He wants to persuade Americans to vote for him over Trump; Trump is providing terrible leadership at a moment of crisis, costing American lives; He has an opportunity to match Trump day-by-day, dramatizing a contrast by showing both what the right leadership would look like (as New York Governor Cuomo has done ), and how Trump’s utterly failed to provide the leadership the nation so badly needs.One could not ask for a better opening to sell oneself to the American people as the better choice.
So Biden should institute a daily briefing that both demonstrates shows the people some good leadership, and helps the American people to understand how Donald Trump is wielding the powers of the Presidency in ways that are costing America — including in human lives.
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Meanwhile, among the Governors of states whose needs Trump is refusing to meet, a more aggressive posture is called for. (“Hey, Governors, Trump can’t fire you, like he fired that Navy captain who stood up for his men.”)
It’s time to create the organization necessary to make the equipment situation better. Even without the powers of the presidency, governors together can create an ad hoc organization to stop the bidding war, to get things distributed in a rational fashion that does not bankrupt the states.
It is typical of the Democrats’ way of dealing with Trump that the Democratic governor asked about that on television said it was important to keep the pressure on the federal government to come through. But it is doubtful that Trump can be moved by appeals from the governors.
How much has it worked so far, imploring Trump to give you what you need, combined with making a visible effort to avoid offending him with criticism or complaint. (You can see these Governors dealing with questions in that careful way — clearly treading to prevent Trump’s getting angry as he has been with Inslee (“snake”) and Whitmer (“that Michigan woman” “in over her head”).
Would criticizing what warrants criticism result in getting less of what you need for your people? Unclear. Has Trump rewarded the appeasement the Governors have practiced—speaking truth but in ever-so-careful ways?
So I think the Democrats should noisily go about creating what they can to meet the unmet needs. The criticism can be implicit, if some appeasement is called for, or explicit, if the time is right for attack. And the Democrats should be using that drama to show the American people what Trump should be doing.
Imposing a Nationwide stay-at-home (Fauci). Use the Defense Production Act to harness American productive might to meet the urgent needs of the crisis (ventilators, etc.). Arranging that the system for production and distribution of crucial materials works effectively, fairly, and best serving the American people.****************
The Democrats should invite all Republican governors into their organization. If none joins, then – since the organization will be seen as partisan anyway -- perhaps they should coordinate with Biden to present a unified Democratic vision for how America should be dealing with the crisis at hand, unlike what we’ve seen from Trump, Trump’s administration, and a great many of the Republican Governors (Florida, Missouri, Tennessee).
And through that demonstration, convey the wider truths about what differentiates the Democratic from today’s Republican Party – including basic competence and genuine care about meeting the needs of the American people.