Eugene Robinson: Dear Democrats, Stop Freaking Out
Well, Mr. Robinson, the 'media' doesn't seem to be helping.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dear-democrats-stop-freaking-out/2016/09/15/fa68c022-7b74-11e6-beac-57a4a412e93a_story.html?postshare=531473982552056&tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.6b1b15395cef
Dear Democrats, Stop Freaking Out
By Eugene Robinson Opinion writer September 15 at 7:11 PM
If Democrats want to beat Donald Trump, they need to get past the freakout stage and get to work.
In a sane and just world, this presidential race would be a walkover. Commentators would already be sketching out their postmortem analyses of an all-but-certain Hillary Clinton victory. Pare the contest down to its essentials: A former senator and secretary of state, eminently qualified to be president, is running against a dangerous demagogue who has never held public office and should not be allowed anywhere near the White House. Ought to be case closed.
But it’s not. Clinton’s big lead in national polls following the party conventions, which approached double digits, has shrunk to about two points — far too close for comfort. Trump has gained ground in swing-state polls as well. If the election were held tomorrow, Clinton would probably win. But Nov. 8 is many weeks away, and the recent trend line is hardly in her favor.
Why has the race tightened? I’ve heard a lot of theories, but I’m not sure I really buy any of them.
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Voters have been informed of Trump’s ignorant and outrageous statements, his real and potential conflicts of interest, his bankruptcies, his hucksterism, his untempered temperament and all the other factors that make him unthinkable as a president. Coverage by the news media brought all this information to light. Don’t blame the media for the fact that many people say they plan to vote for him anyway.
Instead, if you want to stop Trump, focus on the fundamentals — and get busy.
Ordinarily, this would be a tough election for any Democratic candidate to win. That is because, historically, a party that controls the White House for two terms in a row has difficulty winning a third. In addition to that headwind, nearly 70 percent of Americans say they believe the country is on the wrong track — an ominous sign for the incumbent party.
Trump, with his soaring unpopularity and general flakiness, is no normal candidate. Many voters — including many Republicans — obviously believe that while it may be the GOP’s turn to take the helm, it will never be Trump’s turn. Still, there are those who have real doubts about Trump but may still vote for him because they want change.
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