Biden's quiet campaign in the media contrasts sharply with Trump's rhetoric and high-visibility mass rallies. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
With just under two weeks until the midterm polls in the United State, President Joe Biden is sticking to his political experiment of a “low profile and accomplishment-driven” campaign, exacerbating the apprehensions of his fellow party members.
Unlike former president Donald Trump, who is spearheading a high-octane campaign with a recycled old presidential theme, Biden has adopted a very different strategy to win voters’ support. He is desisting from large rallies and relying on media coverage of his “accomplishments”.
Much criticism in the Democratic Party is being directed at Biden’s go-low approach. Trump’s aggressive campaigning, for obvious reasons, has flustered the majority of Democrats, who feel Biden is making a blunder by adopting an atypical campaign strategy.
Democrats are in an acute state of anxiety. If this low-profile campaign fails to stop the Republicans from regaining control of one or both houses of Congress, an outcome that would definitely reshape politics in the US, Biden must be ready for one of the biggest rebukes of his political career.
Much is at stake for Biden. Poor performance in the midterm polls would practically dash the possibility of much-needed legislation to support the crucial points of his presidential agenda such as abortion rights, gun control, police reform, voting rights and tax fairness.
The congressional midterm contest on 8 November is not just about the election of 435 members of the House of Representatives and 35 members of the Senate but will also define the future texture of American politics.
Knowing the strategic importance of these polls, Trump is putting all his energy into a campaign to grab as many seats in Congress as he can. Republicans are eagerly holding big rallies in all the constituencies and Trump has crisscrossed the country for near-weekly rallies, drawing huge crowds.
Former vice-president Mike Pence has also spent time in the territories of more than 30 candidates for Congress and governor’s mansions. The midterm polls are seeing the replay of the fierce, ruthless contest between the two in 2018. Trump is using the same tone and tenor of language which he used in 2018, which could amount to charging Biden and the Democrats with treason.
He continuously alleges that Biden and the Democrats are making the US vulnerable to foreign influence and are weakening America by turning it into a socialist country. On the other hand, Biden and the Democrats are accusing the Republicans and Trump of racism and extremism, including repeatedly using the word “fascism” to highlight the dangers of the growth of far right-wing politics in America.
Trump’s trademark rhetoric about Biden and the Democrats is again adorning the Republicans’ rallies. Visibility is a critical aspect of traditional congressional campaigns, and Trump has been trying to be the most visible person in the race. He wants to ensure his resurgence through his current political campaign. He is using it as a launching pad to renew his prospects of contesting the 2024 presidential elections.
But Biden is conspicuously abstaining from major political gatherings and rallies. He is concentrating more on media talks to project his performance and trying to portray himself as a successful leader by highlighting his key achievements such as rebuilding the infrastructure in the US, negotiating lower drug prices, student debt relief and investments in computer-chip manufacturing.
Biden, according to his close team, has made it a point, in order to differentiate himself from Trump, to promote his party’s accomplishments in the past two years, in the media, as the main plank of his election campaign instead of traditional speeches at big rallies. He thinks the best strategy to get people excited and motivated about supporting Democrats is to show them what he’s been able to accomplish on their behalf. He is sticking to this strategy, despite intense opposition from key Democrats.
While defending his low-key campaign, Biden’s advisers assert he has carefully crafted this strategy to fit his brand as a rational and mature leader who is above the political fray. Biden believes he has delivered much more than his predecessors in a short span of time and his achievements are sufficient to sail him and his party through the midterm polls with emphatic numbers.
He is of the view that, instead of traditional political rallies where politicians are expected to make unrealistic and exaggerated claims and promises, official venues and events provide a better opportunity to highlight his accomplishments – and thus attract headlines on an almost daily basis.
This is an atypical strategy when viewed against the long history of high-octane, high-voltage election campaigns in American politics which depend more on hoopla and fanfare than serious political discourse and debate on key national issues. A big chunk of voters are still on the borderline and undecided and the effectiveness of Biden’s go-low strategy will only become apparent on voting day.
Dr Imran Khalid is a freelance columnist on international affairs based in Karachi, Pakistan.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Mail & Guardian.