** 02/08/2024
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** The United States Presidential Election is in just 94 days. The results will have profound consequences for Britain and the world.
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Dear John,

Based on the popularity of our UK election newsletter earlier this summer, we’ve decided to dedicate just one day a week to analysing what’s happening across the Atlantic. With Trump and the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 ([link removed]) threatening to obliterate American democracy itself, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

If this kind of thing is not for you, don’t worry. You can opt out here ([link removed]) .

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Does “Weird” Work?

With not far to go until election day, the Democrats have adopted a fresh candidate and a completely new messaging strategy. Kamala Harris has replaced Joe Biden as the prospective nominee in response to concerns about the President’s age and mental acuity. So how has the changed the messaging?

Historically, Democrats have run on the idea of Trump being dangerous. President Joe Biden described the 2024 election as a “battle for the soul of the nation,” emphasising Trump’s right-wing extremism and presenting himself as the protector of American democracy.

Perhaps due to de-sensitisation and media fatigue, it wasn’t resonating strongly with the American public. Perhaps it also empowered Trump in a certain way, making him appear to his base as this powerful strongman that struck fear in the heart of their liberal opponents.

Kamala Harris has shifted gears. In an all-out media assault this week, a myriad of Democratic politicians have been hammering the Republicans for being “straight up weird.” Here’s some examples:
* Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigiegtold ([link removed]) Fox News on July 28th that former President Trump is “getting older and stranger”;
* New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez chimed in on “X” as well,writing ([link removed]) : “Being obsessed with repressing women is goofy. Trying to watch what LGBTQ+ people do all the time is abnormal. Punishing people who don't have biological offspring is creepy. It’s an incel platform, dude. It’s SUPER weird.”;
* In a recent campaign email, Vice President Kamala Harris asked “Is Donald Trump OK?” and writing “Trump seems old and quite weird?”

Interestingly, Trump and his Vice-Presidential pick JD Vance (who has also undeniably said some very ‘weird’ things ([link removed]) ) don’t seem to have a response beyond “I know you are but what am I?”

"The whole thing is a con job. Just plain weird. You know who is plain weird? She is plain weird. She is a weird person,” Trump deflected on Fox News on Tuesday.

The former President also went on a racist tirade at the annual convention for the National Association of Black Journalists, questioning his opponent’s racial heritage in an apparent attempt to revive Obama-era Birtherism.

Perhaps the Democrats have landed on an effective messaging narrative for defeating the far-right here in Britain as well. Calling Nigel Farage “dangerous” may only increase his allure to his supporters, but calling him “weird” cuts down the idea that he’s just a regular guy you’d like to share a pint with. No one sits next to the oddball at the pub.

Maybe one other reason “weird” works is that it undermines the US Right’s core narrative – not unique to the US by any means – that they’re the norm and everyone thinks like them (and if you disagree, it’s because you’re an extremist). Think about when Liz Truss famously said ([link removed]) “Britain is full of secret Conservatives”, or how Trump claims he speaks ([link removed]) for the “silent majority.” Being “weird” threatens the basis of their supposed legitimacy.

In other US Election News:
* Kamala Harris now appears to be ahead of Trump according to several new polls ([link removed]) , eliminating the lead he held over Joe Biden just several weeks ago;
* In particular, women, young people, and minority groups have seen major polling spikes ([link removed]) in the last week;
* In the next week or so, a D.C. Judge will decide ([link removed]) whether the case against Trump for election subversion can move forward, in the wake of the Supreme Court’s “immunity” ruling earlier this year (which may render him un-prosecutable).

That’s it for this week!

All the best,

Matt Gallagher

Communications Officer

Open Britain Team
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