Joe Biden’s Lack Of ‘Counter-Programming’ During Republican Convention Has Democrats Concerned

Democratic nominee Joe Biden has not offered any “counter-programming” during the Republican National Convention (RNC), something that has his fellow Democrats concerned, The Hill reported.

For the past four days, Republicans have had their day with speakers touting President Donald Trump and trying to convince voters to give him four more years. Though some news stories have also commanded attention this week — the Jacob Blake shooting and Hurricane Laura — Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, have largely remained silent.

That silence has raised concerns among some Democrats.

“They’ve gone silent…. Amazing week last week. But this week? Nothing…. I don’t understand why we have to cede some ground to Trump,” one anonymous Democrat, described by The Hill as a “top Democratic fundraiser,” reportedly said.

Another Democratic official wondered aloud why the Biden-Harris camp didn’t fact-check any of the RNC speakers.

“Are we just going to let them say whatever they want and go unanswered? And I don’t mean on Twitter,” they asked rhetorically.

Meanwhile, there’s the matter of the traditional post-convention bounce, essentially an increase in support reflected in the polls, that candidates traditionally get following their parties’ conventions. Biden failed to get one, according to Politico, and some Democrat strategists believe that Trump is sure to get his. One Biden ally called portions of the RNC “pretty compelling TV,” while by some measures the Democratic National Convention was, as Reason described it, a “dull infomercial.”

However, that same ally also claimed that Biden is using this week to “reset” as the campaign season moves into the post-Labor Day stretch.

“I assure you he’s not just taking it easy. He’s making plans for the long haul,” the individual said.

Democratic strategist Brad Bannon noted that now is the time for Biden to make his move with an aggressive and re-invigorated campaign. He used a sports metaphor to make his point.

“The NFL season starts in 15 days and it’s time for Biden to get out of his prevent defense and start blitzing Trump,” Bannon said.

There are signs that the Biden-Harris team is gearing up for an aggressive final stretch. On Wednesday, for example, he released a statement on the death of Jacob Blake, another Black man who died at the hands of police.

Similarly, his running mate, Kamala Harris, is scheduled to give a speech on Thursday, said to be “blistering,” that will criticize Trump over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. In that same speech, the California senator is also expected to lay out her boss’ plan to address the pandemic, should he be elected president.