Title: Political Action Unfolds Offstage as Republican Presidential Hopefuls Gather for First Debate
Date: August 23, 2023
As Republican presidential hopefuls gather in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for their first debate, the political landscape is buzzing with activity both on and offstage. Former President Donald Trump, who is leading significantly in early polls, has decided to skip the debate and instead participate in an interview with former Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign is launching its first major media push, utilizing ad buys, events in Milwaukee, and a surge of online volunteers to highlight that even in Trump’s absence, the Republican candidates present at the debate embrace his worldview.
Although Biden has rarely mentioned Trump in recent months, his campaign took the opportunity to mock Trump’s “softball interview” with Carlson, stating that the same extreme and unpopular agenda will be on display in Milwaukee by the MAGA Republican candidates attempting to emulate Trump.
In a separate event, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a long-shot Democratic rival to Biden, is engaging with Virginia voters to discuss the issue of inflation, coinciding with the start of the debate.
The Biden campaign has organized a massive training session to mobilize thousands of volunteers, particularly in swing states, to post online during the debate and contrast Republican statements with Biden’s record. Additionally, a joint ”war room” consisting of the Biden campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) will provide rapid response throughout the night from Washington.
Earlier this year, a Biden campaign video featuring Republican congresswoman Majorie Taylor Greene comparing Biden to former President Franklin Delanor Roosevelt garnered over 43 million views on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter). Biden has used Greene as a symbol of the “extreme-MAGA” wing of the GOP, referencing Trump’s “Make America Great Again” policies.
On Wednesday, the Biden campaign will launch its third major paid ad campaign of the election cycle, a $25 million effort targeting eight battleground states. This campaign includes the first messages aimed at Latino and Black media. Milwaukee will be adorned with advertisements highlighting Biden’s “record of accomplishments,” and a billboard truck will circle the debate venue. Prior to the debate, Biden campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond and DNC Chair Jaime Harrison held a press conference.
Harrison emphasized that the debate would showcase the most extreme, divisive, and chaotic slate of presidential candidates in history. He stated that while the candidates aim to take away freedoms, Democrats want to highlight the contrast and make Americans understand how out of touch and extreme the Republican candidates are.
Harrison and Richmond did not address questions regarding how Biden and Democrats plan to handle Republican criticism of President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, who is currently facing a special counsel investigation on tax evasion charges.
When asked about the tight theoretical matchup between Biden and Trump in the polls, despite Republican candidates holding extremist views, Richmond responded, “President Biden has been counted out every single time.”
Typically, contested primaries challenging sitting presidents provide the party out of power with more airtime to attack the incumbent. Therefore, it is expected that Republicans on the debate stage will direct most of their criticism towards Biden rather than each other.
The Biden campaign has yet to decide whether Biden will debate Trump or what it would mean if Trump decides against debating in the general election.
Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw; Additional reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by Heather Timmons, Nick Macfie, and Diane Craft.
What measures is the Biden campaign taking to counter the Republican rhetoric during the debate and mobilize volunteers in swing states
Nannounced its plan to capitalize on the first Republican presidential debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Despite former President Donald Trump’s decision to skip the debate, the Biden campaign intends to highlight the Republican candidates’ embrace of Trump’s worldview.
While President Joe Biden has refrained from mentioning Trump in recent months, his campaign seized the opportunity to mock Trump’s interview with former Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson, referring to it as a “softball interview.” The campaign asserts that the same extreme and unpopular agenda championed by Trump will be on display in Milwaukee as the MAGA Republicans attempt to emulate him.
In the midst of the debate, Democratic candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a long-shot rival to Biden, is engaging with Virginia voters to discuss the pressing issue of inflation.
To counter the Republican rhetoric, the Biden campaign has organized an extensive training session to mobilize thousands of volunteers, especially in swing states. These volunteers will actively post online during the debate, contrasting Republican statements with Biden’s record. Furthermore, a joint “war room” operated by the Biden campaign and the Democratic National Committee will provide rapid response from Washington throughout the night.
One notable moment in this year’s campaign was a viral Biden campaign video featuring Republican congresswoman Majorie Taylor Greene comparing Biden to former President Franklin Delanor Roosevelt. The video garnered over 43 million views on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter). Biden has utilized Greene as a symbol of the “extreme-MAGA” wing of the GOP, emphasizing Trump’s “Make America Great Again” policies.
On Wednesday, the Biden campaign announced its fervent commitment to capitalizing on the political action unfolding offstage at the first Republican presidential debate.
Sounds like there’s more than meets the eye at this debate. Can’t wait to see what unfolds!
Samantha: This is going to be interesting. I wonder what kind of political action we can expect.
Oliver: Offstage actions can sometimes overshadow the debate itself. Let’s see if that happens this time.
Emily: It’s always intriguing to see what happens behind the scenes during these debates. Get ready for the unexpected!
Sophie: I hope the political action brings some much-needed substance to the debate. Too often it’s just empty rhetoric.
Nathan: Offstage political actions can reveal a lot about candidates’ true intentions. I’m curious to see if any surprises come to light.