Apr.10

electoral-vote.com

Dem 51

   

GOP 49

How to Make Trump Go Away

Frank Luntz is a Republican pollster and strategist who is not a big fan of Donald Trump. He recently held dozens of focus groups with Trump supporters to find out what makes them tick and why they love their hero so much. He also tried to figure out how some other Republican could peel some of them away from Trump. He learned some interesting things.

First of all, attacking Trump DOES. NOT. WORK. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) tried that in 2016. It didn't work then and it won't work now. Forget it. Very briefly, what a Trump opponent needs to do is give the Trump voters the impression that while Trump cared about them in 2016, now all he cares about is himself. The new candidate has to show that he has listened to the base and is focused on what they want, not what he personally wants. That's the key. Here are some more conclusions from the many focus groups:

• Humility: Be humble. You can't win every Trump voter. You can't even win half. But you might be able to win a third, with the right message. The message has to be: "I will carry out Trump's (and your) agenda, but with a commitment to decency, civility, and a respect for everyone's personal responsibility."
  
  
• He changed: Trump started out working for you, but now Mar-a-Lago is Grand Central Terminal for politicians, political hacks, lobbyists, and the out-of-touch elites you despise so much. He changed and forgot you. He hated the establishment but he became the establishment. I know what you want and that will guide everything I do. I won't forsake you, I promise.
  
  
• Endorsements: Having endorsements from members of Congress means nothing to the average Trump voter. They are the enemy. Endorsements from ordinary farmers, small business owners, and veterans mean more. Make ads with them, but make sure they are authentic. Have them endlessly repeat: "I voted for Trump twice. I didn't leave him. He left me."
  
  
• Compliment his actions: Spare no effort to compliment what Trump accomplished but go after his comments and crude behavior. Say it is fine to bully China, but it is not fine to bully people at home. Say you will carry out his agenda, but with respect and decency for all.
  
  
• The grandchildren: Trump voters are old. Very old. They have grandchildren. Ask: "Is Trump a role model for your grandchildren? Is this what you want them to become?" Say that you will try to achieve his goals while being a decent human being your grandchildren can admire and respect.
  
  
• Hypocrisy: Trump's supporters are very good at detecting hypocrisy and don't like it one bit. During the 2016 campaign, Trump criticized Barack Obama for playing a few rounds of golf. Then as president, Trump played 300 rounds of golf at his own clubs. That cost the taxpayers $150 million for security. Secret Service agents had to stay at Trump properties overnight to protect him—and Trump charged the government the full room rate with no discount. Harp on that on things like: "Trump ripped you off." It will be deadly.
  
  
• Independents: There aren't enough Republicans in the country to win a presidential election. You need to win over millions of independents. Trump alienated independents so much that they voted for Democrats in 2018, 2020, and 2022. Think carefully about how you are going to win them. If all you do is throw pound after pound of red meat at the base, you will lose. Talk about smaller government and lower taxes. Talk about giving the state governments more power. Conservative-minded independents will respond to this.
  
  
• The echo chamber: You need to get some of the right-wing media heavyweights on your side. Tucker Carlson would be great, but failing that, at least Mark Levin, Dennis Prager, Ben Shapiro and Newt Gingrich. The Dominion lawsuit showed that everyone at Fox hates Trump and thinks he is a fool. That's probably true at other right-wing media outlets, too. But you need to get at least some of them to say that in public, not just in private e-mails.
  

Among current challengers, none of them are even coming close to doing any of these things. No one has come out and said: "Trump had good ideas, but he has forgotten his supporters and now thinks only about himself. And he acts like a buffoon. I will carry out your agenda but I won't embarrass you while doing so." (V)