Fresh polling appears to validate strategy
New York University historian Tim Naftali, the former director of the Richard Nixon presidential library, said candidates left behind front-porch campaigns because the expectations of voters changed. People wanted to see and interact with presidential contenders in person, especially as they became larger-than-life figures like Theodore Roosevelt. But he noted that the public expectations have changed again in the age of covid-19, seen partly by the low turnout at Trump’s June rally in Tulsa.
“Over the last few election cycles, politicians have stopped visiting most states. And when they have visited battleground states, they have had more staged events, including in airplane hangars,” Naftali said. “When local media markets mattered, that was enough. But with the increasing nationalization of media, how important are these local markets anymore? The Biden supporter does not want him to put on a show because of implications in a pandemic. They want Biden to be responsible. There’s more of a risk for President Trump because he needs to run the table. And that means he has to energize his entire base. And they may want the entertainment of a Trump visit. Certainly, the president derives great energy and motivation from these personal appearances.”
Biden’s decision to keep a low profile has also helped him keep the election a referendum on Trump’s performance.
Trump, 74, takes far more questions from reporters than Biden, 77. The former vice president has not held a news conference since more than a week before he named Harris. The running mates will give their first joint interview to David Muir for a special that will air Sunday on ABC at 8 p.m.