Here Comes Biden's Build Back Better Re-Boot, but Will it Work?
Hello Hackaroos,
Well, Putin’s desperate tactics in Ukraine just keep getting worse and worse – putting President Biden in an increasingly difficult position politically at home. Not to mention, he already is in a tough spot politically with his own party as they demand some action on his agenda. That’s where we begin before some tidbits.
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Let’s begin…
WHAT’S NEXT FOR BUILD BACK BETTER?
MURPHY: Brandon rebranding (Too soon? Too stupid? Yup, probably…). But that was the big story in The New York Times a few days ago with Democrats going very public with their frustrations with Build Back Better, or Biden's Big Bungle or Barely Believable… ok enough (it's just too easy). In a story by the erstwhile New York Times reporter and Hacks on Tap podcast favorite Jonathan Martin, Democratic frustration with the stalled Build Back Better agenda and its very stodgy marketing – it’s hard to hang your domestic agenda message on an awkward moniker nobody in voterland actually understands – has finally boiled over, as Democrats face a potentially gruesome outcome in the midterm elections.
As readers of this newsletter and listeners of our podcast know, we haven't been shy about talking about this. And now for the umpteenth time, there's talk about a revision, but this time it looks real. Is it too late? Gibbs, I'm starting to think the problem is less the message than the machine developing the messages. If I were a Democrat, I'd be worried that Build Back Better will change into CCC – Could Change Completely – (because we know they might just go to the next letter of the alphabet). I don't know if this communications malaise is staff or – God forbid – Biden driven, but this White House just doesn't seem to do simple bumper sticker message well. Gibbsie, what say you?
GIBBS: Ah, the virtually evergreen story of “we need a slogan that fits on a bumper sticker!” Somehow, I think if I Googled this mention I could find some version of it or its criticism of lacking a bumper sticker phrase in every election for two decades! We know Build Back Better is dead. It has been for months, though I had hoped parts of it could be passed in a smaller version of some legislation. And the death of that slogan is fine as it does remind some, mainly Democrats I’m sure, of a futile Fall spent haggling over this. I’m also not surprised at all that “Democrats Deliver” doesn’t poll well. It sounds frankly more like a rival to DoorDash or Uber Eats than it does a political slogan, especially one when a lot of people are frustrated or filled with anxiety. Finally, Democrats should realize this is happening on the GOP side too as Sen. Mitch McConnell absolutely obliterated his own Senate Republican campaign chief over his bumper sticker idea.
Murphy, I’m far more worried about the lack of picking a fight over something, like prescription drug costs that the astute Mr. Martin mentions in his piece, than how we’d describe the fight. The lore around slogans has always been a bigger topic in Washington than it is in the rest of America. Voters need to see what you’re fighting for (namely them!) and against the other guys (your opponents and their special interests!) Obviously, the challenge is building a moment or a series of moments to do this and to have it coordinated with campaigns everywhere to take advantage of it to drive the point home to voters. Better yet, get a few issues and do this one after the other. No one even knew the parts of Build Back Better, so burying that as a slogan is easy. What’s harder is getting Democrats focused on a strategy to pick a fight they should win.
MURPHY: I detect a little ACA branding criticism PSD here my dear Gibbs! And I agree – and agree – the “put it on a bumper sticker” – criticism is an old Beltway CW complaint, but once in a while, well, it’s actually true. Simplicity and relevance are the key to effective political communications and BBB fails, and already has failed, every test. In the latest WSJ poll, Biden’s numbers on managing the economy and inflation are 2-1 negative. (And the top issue – at 50% – is inflation.) If his numbers look in October the way they look today, Republicans are going to win big in both the House and the Senate.
IS BIDEN’S UKRAINE BUMP WANING?
MURPHY: Ukraine continues to be a heart wrenching tragedy. The Russians have decided to continue their literal scorched earth policy as the civilian casualties and gruesome war crimes mount. I still think pressure is building inside the Russian hierarchy against Putin, but grousing is easier than acting. Even if Kyiv falls, the Russkies are in for a nightmarish quagmire that will make Afghanistan look like a nice warm bowl of home cooked borsch.
On the Biden political front, it seems to me like he's losing control of the agenda after a decent start. (He’s gone from the SOTU optics of Captain Freedom to the MiG 29 optics of “we don't want to provoke Putin.”) Weakness never works when dealing with foreign strong men, and I think Biden's going to be forced by Putin’s constant escalation into a new messaging tack pretty soon or political criticism of the President will increase. (And let me say for the record, I do miss the days of both parties uniting behind the President during a foreign crisis, but alas those days are over in our new Real Housewives of Politics era…)
GIBBS: We are entering a crucial few weeks in the war in Ukraine. Can Ukrainians continue to repel the Russian army’s advance and Putin’s desire to control the country, pushing this into the stalemate Zelensky needs? Continuing to send weapons is a must. As you mentioned in the last newsletter, the United States and NATO probably need to figure out getting airpower to the Ukrainians as well, though this needs to be done quietly rather than through televised NATO negotiations. Tightening sanctions and their impact on the Russian economy are having the desired effect. Will a Russian default bring it crashing down? There are reports Biden may head to Europe as early as next week for meetings and a show of support and resolve. I think he’s valiantly doing all he can here. Will it lead to a fundamental turnaround in his political fortunes? On that, I have my doubts. But at the moment, he’s showing Americans and the world what good leadership looks like.
TIDBITS:
Former President Donald Trump at a rally over the weekend in Florence, South Carolina. (Credit: Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
MURPHY: Will Zelensky do what no Republican has been able to do, and beat Donald Trump? There's no doubt Trump’s embarrassing history of creepy Putin love is becoming an anchor around the President's neck. He just cannot avoid describing the Russian war criminal as a sort of admirable little brother. But Republicans, like that of just about everybody in the USA, are hardening against the Russians and very much moving in an old school Republican anti-Russian way. Is this another obstacle to Trump running again in 2024? I think so. Trump is increasingly rusting away in the heavy rain of time; he’s older, crazier and becomes less appealing every day. And you can tell by the increasingly active scurrying and scheming of other potential Republican Presidential aspirants that they too see Trump as a wounded old bison than a feared competitor. As he declines, he may well find himself becoming more prey than predator. He has power now, but the future is yet to be made. We'll see how Trump’s situation develops through the midterms. And as we've often said, when in doubt, keep an eye on Georgia. If Governor Brian Kemp is able to fend off his Trump-backed primary challenger, it'll be the mega test of Trump's thought to be unshakable MAGA hold on the Republican primary. My money is on Kemp. That loss for Trump could well be the beginning of the end.
GIBBS: So glad you brought up both of these topics. I continue to be amazed how many in the Republican Party have an affinity for Putin. Oh, how I wish Reagan could see this. Just this weekend, the Georgia Republican Party chair was rightly criticized for blasting out Russian propaganda. And as you mention, this primary is heating up! The next big event in the Peach State, the Donald himself is coming to rally the troops on behalf of former Sen. David Perdue, who continues to trail incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp. This is a big test for Trump and the polling suggests it’s not going well. Like you, Murphy, I’m ready to see how much Trump is truly willing to get involved in this race, knowing if he loses the narrative will be brutal for him. Or, will, as he has done a lot before, simply blame his losing endorsee as a bad candidate unable to parlay his support to victory. You know we’ll be watching. Hey, Mike, pass the popcorn!
See everyone on Friday!
Gibbs and Murphy