Pump Up The Volume!

There are less then two weeks until the election, and the Biden/Harris ticket is looking good. But so did Hillary. Trump may implode, but they can’t take chances. They’ve got to pump up the volume and grab the moment.

If they play it safe and just run out the clock, they make themselves particularly vulnerable to last minute attacks. Inertia is not their friend.

There’s still do more to sway swing voters and shore up support among key demographics and regions across the country. They must stay aggressive and visible.

For the next 11 days, Joe and Kamala must be ever-present on television screens, radios, and social media. Their ads and in-person appearances should bolster their support among constituencies that may still be on the fence.

Here are some ideas to reach those groups:

Emphasize their commitment to our military and our national security. A brief reminder of all the damage Trump has done to our national security would help. Best of all would be Biden with Admiral McRaven and General McCrystal in front of an aircraft carrier.

Joe would be well served wearing a hard hat and visiting auto industry, and high-tech, assembly line and construction sites.

The medical community supports Joe; get him into a hospital looking empathetic as doctors and nurses work to save patients, and among the staff expressing his love and support for them.

If Joe and Kamala haven't been seen with teachers, get them into a school, wearing masks, mingling and talking to students. Or maybe do something whimsical, like join a Zoom classroom.

Joe and Kamala should be seen physically with the Latinx communities in Florida and the Southwest. In the Southwest, he should remind them of Trump's cages, contempt for Central Americans, and his separation policies. In Florida, point out Trump's contempt for Puerto Rico -promise he’ll never throw paper towels at them. And remind the Cuban community that Trump's policies have hurt families in their native land.

It would help Biden to be seen with the Christian community, or maybe even religious communities in general. He should be seen with his family in Church, and speaking out for religious freedom.

It might not hurt for Biden to be seen with Warren Buffet and folks concerned about their financial future in Omaha. Or Bill Gates. And union officials. And cops and firemen. Images count.

Joe should also make sure that he's seen with folks concerned about energy in Pennsylvania and Texas. Even though he was being frank and realistic, Joe Biden likely did some damage to himself and to down- ballot candidates in Pennsylvania and Texas. He should visit both states, and make a point of being seen with both fossil fuel producers and renewable energy developers. He should emphasize that both are vital to local economies and that he won't let them down. Promise an "all of the above" energy strategy while we transition to the renewables that will make the country cleaner and much more prosperous. More generally, he should also talk about increasing hydroelectric development and emerging energy technologies.

It might not to folks in coal country that Trump promised but FAILED to restore coal production, and point out that he's done nothing to help fossil fuel producers. It doesn't matter if it's entirely true; at this point, he just has to say it and make sure it's heard).

Congress could still help by keeping the heat on Trump. They should still call in Rod Rosenstein, Jeff Sessions, Bill Barr, and everyone else complicit in making and carrying out reprehensible and corrupt Trump administration policies. The country needs to know why Rosenstein stymied Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia and Trump's policies. It has to know how the policy of separating children from their parents was developed and implemented.

Congress should insist that John Kelly and Jim Mattis go on the record with their damning criticism of the President. It should make sure that everyone in America knows that the Postmaster General, the USPS Board of Governors, and top Postal Service management will be held criminally and civilly liable for interfering with the election.

In fact, Congress should be working non-stop to publicize Trump's corruption and dangerous policies. Continue to hold hearings. And make sure that those hearings make the media. Create a scandal if necessary. Call in the Trump children. Get Allen Weisselberg and other Trump business executives to testify. Don't let up.

Nancy Pelosi seems hellbent on getting a big Covid relief package passed before the election. It would be better for her to wait. But if she does succeed, Democrats should make sure that the public knows that it was them, not Trump or Mitch McConnell, who succeeded in rescuing them.

It's all or nothing now. There may not be many swing voters left, but the Biden campaign should go after every one of them.