Negativity’s evil power
Harris will lose to Trump on a message of "chaos, fear, and hatred versus freedom, compassion, and justice," as she stated yesterday in Georgia. As much as these words may resonate with her supporters, they do little to win over swing voters.
To win, Harris needs to take off the gloves and push on the topics that will decide the election. She doesn’t need to explain the Democratic position but only to sling mud non-stop at Donald Trump.
In short, Harris needs to adopt the Trump playbook. More than the smartest and best-read psychologists, Trump knows the effectiveness of negativity. It explains why he’s the most successful politician of modern times.
In his epic book Thinking, Fast and Slow, the late Daniel Kahneman writes: “Negativity and escape dominate positivity and approach.” This may seem obvious to many, but it’s how negativity reverberates through decision-making that makes this interesting. For example, a button on a website that reads “Avoid Losses” will be clicked two to three times more often than one that reads “Improve Performance.”
Trump understands the power of negativity and has exploited it brilliantly. To win, Harris needs to do the same and attack hard and without equivocation, both on Trump’s performance and his character. Here’s a script I think she should follow:
1. The Economy: The economy under the Trump administration started off well only because of the strong economy he inherited from Barack Obama. But soon after, Trump introduced his tax cuts for his wealthy donors—not for the average American. Did you have an income of $1 million or more in 2017? If not, this tax cut did nothing to make your life better. Go back, look at your paychecks. You want to believe Trump was helping you, but the truth is he was cheating you. If you didn’t notice, he has a history of cheating people. I think he enjoys it.
2. Border and Immigration: Messier than the border is the idiotic debate we’re having about it. Yes, there is a border problem, and yes, there’s a solution. But Donald Trump pushed his lackeys in Congress to block it. Isn’t that nice? The guy who rails about the border is okay with the flow of felons and fentanyl into the country when he believes it will help him to win the election. What kind of person does this? You may love him, but do you trust him?
Think about when, somehow, you or a family member ends up on the wrong side of a Trump policy. Do you want someone knocking on your door at 4 AM, asking you to come downtown for questioning? In his dragnet to round up millions, hundreds of innocent people will be taken. Like purges seen throughout history, there will be a lot of collateral damage, and a lot of innocent lives will be affected. Do you want to be a statistic or live a full life? You must realize by now that to Donald Trump, you’re just a number.
3. Healthcare: Donald Trump promised to replace the Affordable Care Act on day one of his presidency. But after many months, he conceded, saying, "nobody knew it was so hard." In the end, nothing was done. Not because improvements couldn’t have been made, but because Donald Trump lacked the brainpower and stamina to make them happen.
4. Track Record: Were it not for tax breaks and cheating on loans—as he’s been convicted—Donald Trump would be making fries at McDonald’s. Aside from selling his brand, Donald Trump is one of the worst businessmen the country has seen. Here’s his track record of failures and loses.
He started Trump University, it failed.
He started Trump Airline, it failed.
He started Trump Vodka, it failed.
He started Trump Steaks, it failed.
He started Trump Mortgage, it failed.
He started GoTrump.com, it failed.
He started Trump Magazine, it failed.
And, most remarkably, nobody has failed more at casinos than Donald Trump. The Trump Taj Mahal, Trump Plaza, and Trump Marina all failed.
If you don’t want a future filled with failures, then do not vote for Donald J. Trump. He’s a con artist supreme. You may have fallen under his spell, as millions have. Now is the time to snap out of it and get real.
5. Foreign Policy: Any person who contradicted our military leaders in public in support of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is a wimp. He may play tough guy at his rallies but look at him alongside Putin—he’s weak. A creampuff and yes, a pussy. Whether we like it or not, we’re still having a cold war with Russia. Donald Trump is ready to hand Putin the nuclear codes. How do you feel about that? It scares the hell out of me. Does it scare the hell out of you?
6. Violent Crime: Like the border wall, Donald Trump loves to rail about violent crime but has no plan for fixing it. As he said off-mic on January 6, he’s okay with crimes and violence provided it’s directed toward anyone but him. Sooner or later, Trump’s recklessness will catch up with all of us. How does this make you feel?
7. Women: If you’re a woman, you and I have one thing in common. You may love Donald Trump, but do you want a government that’s going to dictate the rules of your pregnancy or that of your daughter, sister, or friend? You all likely have different plans of your own. Do you really want to have these plans dictated by Donald Trump, who has repeatedly demonstrated his disdain for women, including his wife Melania, who’s nowhere to be found these days? A man without his woman is a sad sight.
