I have to admit when The Resistance puts out ads like that, I worry. They focus on how Trump is a jerk instead of on policy alternatives that would actually make working people's lives better (because the truth is, the people at the Lincoln Project are mostly fine with Trump's policies).
I truly hope Biden's lead holds and that he starts talking to the American people about his specific policy agenda that will improve the lives of working class people who voted for Obama in 2012 and Trump in 2016, or people who were too disgusted or apathetic to vote at all. That's how we win. That's how we flip the Senate.
I think you just now mentioned the elephant in the room. Conventional wisdom holds that people vote on emotions, rather than issues, but I think that's a half-truth. While it is true that people vote their feelings -- there is no escaping that (emotions are what motivate us) -- for so many voters, the issues are emotional. Just look at today!
Millions of people out of work. Millions of people are without enough food to feed their families (it's true! Surveys show it.) Millions of people are past due on their rents and unsure where this month's rent payment is coming from. Millions of people are without health care during a pandemic. Millions of people are outraged at the injustices suffered by blacks and people of color. My gods, if those millions of people aren't charged up to 'vote the issues' this cycle, they have paper hearts and paper brains both.
For political reasons, neither Mr. Trump nor Mr. Biden is saying much about those issues just yet. But I wager the first one of them to raise hell about those issues will become our next elected president.
The other thing is, I just cannot image Joe Biden having anything in the way of Senate coattails if he is so foolish as to avoid talking about the major issues facing millions and millions of us. Even those relatively few people who will vote for him based on actually liking him, are unlikely to vote for a senator based on "I like Joe, so I'm voting for John for Senate". Most Biden voters are actually voting against Mr. Trump, not for Mr. Biden. He should not forget that. He needs -- absolutely needs -- to give those people a reason to vote for him.
We are in a really precarious election that is the most important one of our lifetimes to date. It's no time to fool around campaigning on "which one would you rather drink a beer with". Contrary to myth, Karl Rove's famous line didn't even work. Gore won the popular vote.
One positive note: I think Mr. Biden might still win even if he refuses to run on the issues. I don't think he'll flip the Senate, but I still favor him to win.
