Michael Avenatti is correct about one thing

[NewJeffCT]

While I would prefer that he not run for president, Michael Avenatti does have a great point about what type of candidate will be needed to beat Trump in 2020, assuming Herr Trump is still around. As he said, Democrats need a street fighter – somebody that can hit back against Trump, and will get media coverage when they do hit back.

If my memory serves, when Trump wrapped up easily winning the Republican nomination, Hiillary Clinton gave a very good speech calling out some of his many faults among other things. The speech she gave got a lot of good publicity and positive media coverage. Her poll numbers against Trump went up.

However, for the next several months until the DNC, she received very little media attention – it was all TRUMP TRUMP TRUMP, both good and bad, almost all bad. But, it allowed him to get his messages out. Try as she might, there was very little mainstream media coverage of Clinton until the hacked emails came out.

By the time the DNC and RNC happened, the public was so overwhelmed with and desensitized to the daily Trump scandals and came to equate Trump’s dozens of scandals as being equal to Hillary’s emails and the Clinton Foundation, which both turned out to be non scandals.

What Democrats will need in 2020 is somebody that can get on TV and fight the battle over the airwaves and the internet. If he’s still around, we know Trump will dominate the media coverage and that it will be almost all Trump scandals and corruption. However, it will be the metric ton of scandals of Team Trump weighted against maybe a handful scandals for the Democratic nominee, probably almost all overblown. The media coverage will make it seem both are of the same weight - unless there is somebody that can get out there and hit back and get coverage when they hit back.

Avenatti has proven he can get a boatload of air time, and when he’s on TV, he can get his message out directly. If he’s the right candidate remains to be seen. As I said above, I would prefer that it is not Avenatti.

Biden can hit back, but will he get coverage for it? He seems to get coverage for his occasional verbal mistakes, but will he get drowned out by Trump? Sanders could get some coverage as the first independent to win a party primary, but if Clinton didn't get much coverage as the first woman as a major party candidate, will the first independent be able to do it?

I’ve said it many times since Election Day 2016, Democrats do best when the run smart, charismatic and younger candidates – JFK, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama come to mind. Avenatti is 47 now. Clinton and Obama drove the media coverage in the years that they were first elected (1992 and 2008, though Perot did get a good amount of coverage in 1992). Trump drove the media coverage in 2016, and continues to drive it today. Who out there among Democrats will be able to at least interrupt the Trump media juggernaut?

[dalton99a]

1. Great post

I agree what Avenatti is doing is a great PR model to emulate

[shraby]

2. We have a lot of people who can step up to the plate and hit back, but first let's grab the

mid-terms away from the repubicans.
That's top on the agenda.

[NewJeffCT]

3. agreed

but, the "Avenatti for president" was a topic last week and I wanted to think on it over the weekend.

[Little Star]

4. JFK, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama were all cool......

We need a cool candidate in the mold of those three.

I personally want a woman president but I'm not willing to be risky come the next presidential election time. I only want to do whatever it takes to get rid of tRump. That SOB needs to go asap! So we need someone who is a good Dem but also cool. jmho

[NewJeffCT]

6. "cool" is a good way to put it

I don't know about media coverage of JFK, but I remember in history class discussing how JFK won on TV because he looked sharp on TV while Nixon looked uncomfortable and drab compared to the young, vibrant JFK.

[H2O Man]

12. The first JFK v Nixon

debate did make a significant difference. JFK was an attractive candidate, while Nixon was not. More, Nixon was suffering from an injury, which was made worse when he smashed his knee getting out of the automobile that took him to the debate. Plus, his infamous 5 o'clock shadow, and tendency to perspire.

But there were other, equally important factors. RFK ran the campaign, against a strong primary field, as well as in the general election. JFK was able to be viewed as kind, while Robert was "ruthless." And when HFK called Coretta about Martin being in jail, it resulted in black ministers advocating for the Democratic candidate, which was a new dynamic. (King, his father, etc, were registered republicans until then.)

There are also some myths about the campaign, such as Joe "buying" Illinois. In fact, JFK would have won without that state. If Joe could have bought any state, it would have been Ohio -- which Nixon somehow won.

The Kennedy campaign was organized better on the ground than anyone else's had ever been. Very similar to Obama with the internet. That needs to be tied to a candidate that can firmly, yet coolly, kick Trump's ass in a debate. In my opinion, that favors someone like Kamala Harris, due to her experience with debate as a prosecutor.

[BigmanPigman]

8. Someone like Justin Trudeau wouldn't be a bad choice

either, he would get votes for being attractive like Kennedy did.

[Little Star]

10. +1

[brooklynite]

5. One reason I can't see Bernie Sanders winning...

He can appeal to the base, but he's never had a hard run against a Republican, and I think he feels his issues are strong enough to win without hardball politics.

[NewJeffCT]

7. I like his politics

but I'd be concerned about something from his past coming up & drowning out every Trump scandal in existence like Clinton and her emails

[jrthin]

9. To be fair, the emails really weren't an issue.

The media was complicit in making it, and driving it as an issue. Anyone who understood the issue, and most "responsible" media did, knew there was no issue. She used bad judgement in using here email, the same that is still being done today by trump and other present day and past political officials.

[Little Star]

11. Bingo! Funny how no one has a problem with that

SOB t Rump's friggin' twitter.

[pnwmom]

13. Especially since he refused to release his full tax returns and there are remaining concerns

about Olde Towne Media, Tad Devine, and Jane's handling of Burlington College.

[monmouth4]

14. Adam Schiff would do a great job IMO...n/t