The 'garbage' campaign: How errors and diversions could sway the result

The image that best encapsulates the madness of this campaign is Donald Trump riding in a garbage truck.

After a Joe Biden blunder, Kamala Harris was put on the defensive, and he put on the orange vest and spoke to reporters.

After a Trump rally, a comedian made a mocking comment about Puerto Rico being an island of floating garbage.

The former president enjoyed eating fries at McDonald's, where he was seen cooking them.

The ongoing race in America is the ugliest and most divisive, with each side accusing the other of being a threat to democracy.

The close polls have created a sense of drama, with many voters concerned about potential violence after the election if Trump loses.

Despite numerous failed lawsuits, Trump has maintained that the last election was stolen from him.

Is it possible that there are over 500 voters in swing states who do not have a strong, positive or negative opinion of him?

Harris, who was not well-liked as vice president, was suddenly thrust into the spotlight when Biden stepped aside. Despite her successful performance at the convention, she continued to avoid the media and stick to her talking points, without making much news.

Harris would be the first woman of color to win the presidency in a country where some men, especially Black men, are hesitant to take that step.

In 2024, the chasm in coverage between Kamala and Donald was as vast as it was during Barack Obama's first presidential campaign. While Kamala's coverage ranged from glowing to gushing, with minimal scrutiny even when she made false claims, the Donald's coverage was overwhelmingly negative, with Hitler comparisons being pushed by the press for years, even before John Kelly made his accusations.

The press is frustrated that despite the improving economy, Harris is still struggling, particularly with the recent news that inflation has fallen to 2.1 percent.

The New York Times reports that voters are experiencing "relatively glum" feelings about the economy, despite the job market's steady progress and overall growth remaining healthy, with inflation also returning to normal levels.

Yesterday, a Wall Street Journal columnist stated that the next president will inherit an impressive economy, but 62 percent of those in their poll rated it as "not so good" or "poor."

When George H.W. Bush touted economic progress in 1992, he still lost to Bill Clinton, demonstrating the delay in public perception.

In this supercharged environment, every mistake counts.

Trump stated that he would protect women who illegally cross the border, despite his advisers urging him not to make such a statement.

Yesterday, Harris stated that the phrase has an offensive tone and is particularly hurtful to women, as it implies control over their bodies.

When every minute is crucial, every interruption is detrimental. If you're presenting, you're losing time. If you're on the defensive, you can't score points.

The coverage of comedian Tony Hinchcliffe's racist and misogynist remarks at Trump's Madison Square Garden rally overshadowed his speech. Despite podcaster Joe Rogan warning the Trump camp about the backlash from the joke, the speakers were not properly vetted.

Trump leaped onto a sanitation truck branded with his name after Harris criticized the "rubbish" language.

Biden's mistakes have been damaging Kamala's campaign. He first said, "Lock him up," referring to Trump. Then, the president said, "The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters." Biden later corrected himself, stating that this was about the "demonization of Latinos."

Rewritten: The act of criticizing the opposing party's voters is one of the most detrimental things one can do, as Hillary Clinton discovered eight years ago. This led to negative media coverage of her speech on the Ellipse, which was modeled after Trump's January 6th speech, and was the subject of journalists' inquiries the following morning.

Yesterday, an NBC reporter asked Harris about her previous statement regarding Biden's remarks and her decision to never criticize voters who don't support her, and she confirmed that Biden had clarified his comments.

Trump's brief stint at McDonald's was a brilliant tactic to challenge Harris's claim of never working at one during college.

Noah Rothman, a writer for National Review, argues that the candidates are merely "trolling" one another, giving voters a "choice between two irritating campaigns that are preoccupied with trivialities."

The purpose of a campaign is to assess how candidates handle pressure and respond to attacks, stunts, and interviews, which reveals their ability to react quickly and effectively beyond policy positions, particularly in a close election.