# How Biden should hammer Trump **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [July 16, 2020, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-biden-should-hammer-trump/915495 "2020-07-16T14:05:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2020, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-biden-should-hammer-trump/915495/61 "2020-07-19T02:54:29Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Exactly this. He should act like Kumquat is insignificant and irrelevant to anything he wants to talk about. Act like “who?” Like we have already moved on. > > Nothing pisses off Kumquat more than being ignored. It would drive him into greater depths of irrational ravings. How much more could you hope for? I think this is a bad idea. Trump is the biggest liability the Republicans have. Why avoid using him? Biden shouldn’t ignore Trump. He should tell everyone that Trump has done a terrible job and why he should not be given four more years to keep doing a terrible job. There are plenty of reasons to vote for Joe Biden. But he should also be reminding people there are plenty of reasons to vote against Donald Trump. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2020, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-biden-should-hammer-trump/915495/62 "2020-07-19T04:50:17Z")
> [@carlb](#): > > In my not-terribly-knowledgable opinion, Biden himself should stay a bit above the fray. Provide a readily visible and comprehensible contrast to Trump’s style and personality. Be traditionally Presidential, while Trump is…Trump. Yes! Joe can look much more capable than Trump, but let’s not forget that it could be Joltin’ Joe who loses his cool in a debate. But that points to what I keep thinking while reading this thread: We need NUMEROUS pit bulls attacking Trump on all these points NOW, and every day until November. Hell, we need ministers condemning his murder of Covid patients, golfers detailing his cheating, and everyone from rabbis to Girl Scouts accusing him of being a coward. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2020, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-biden-should-hammer-trump/915495/63 "2020-07-19T11:55:07Z")
> [@Red\_Wiggler](#): > > Biden is reportedly now receiving the same daily intelligence brief that Trump gets. Since Biden actually reads his, this would seem like an opening to embarrass Donald with his inexcusable ignorance on matters of national importance. Within the bounds of security, of course Excellent idea! ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2020, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-biden-should-hammer-trump/915495/64 "2020-07-19T16:59:42Z")
Joe Biden: “I can do things Trump can never do.” “I’m healthy.” Like Jack Palance, he does push ups on a stage in front of a live audience and cameras. “I take responsibility for my actions.” Then apologize for some recent gaff. End it with, “I can kiss my wife honestly.” And then does so. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-biden-should-hammer-trump/915495/65 "2020-07-24T13:17:51Z")
At the very least, if Trump tries to stalk and loom over Biden like he did Hillary, I hope Biden says, “Will you STOP that creepy behavior?! Is it too much to ask for you to PRETEND to be presidential - or at the lease, to exhibit professionalism and common courtesy - for the short time allotted to this debate?” ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-biden-should-hammer-trump/915495/66 "2020-07-24T13:37:22Z")
“Are you, and the country, better off than four years ago?” Really, just steal from the masters. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-biden-should-hammer-trump/915495/67 "2020-07-24T14:24:01Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > At the very least, if Trump tries to stalk and loom over Biden like he did Hillary, I hope Biden says, “Will you STOP that creepy behavior?! Is it too much to ask for you to PRETEND to be presidential - or at the lease, to exhibit professionalism and common courtesy - for the short time allotted to this debate?” Too whiny. I prefer, “President Trump, get back to your own podium. You look like an idiot.” ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-biden-should-hammer-trump/915495/68 "2020-07-24T14:51:32Z")
All Biden needs to do is just run a running tracker of the coronavirus infection and death tolls, with daily updates. That’ll seal the victory. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-biden-should-hammer-trump/915495/69 "2020-07-24T14:55:01Z")
The media is already doing that for him. I’ve heard even Fox News reports on it as well, which makes sense since their viewer demographics are heavily impacted. All Biden needs to do is look like a normal president. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-biden-should-hammer-trump/915495/70 "2020-07-24T14:56:56Z")
Uh, the taxes issue is like 4 years old. Old news. Very old news. That would be like hammering him on Stormi Daniels. It is extremely difficult to get mud to stick on Trump since he’s made of it. But especially not old stuff. Covid is a weak spot on Trump, and poll numbers reflect that. So hammer that. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-biden-should-hammer-trump/915495/71 "2020-07-24T14:59:42Z")
No, the tax issue is _brand new._ Biden can lead with: “Anyone can see my income tax returns on my website. I have nothing to hide. Mr. Trump is terrified of what you will see in his returns, so he’s refused to release them." ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-biden-should-hammer-trump/915495/72 "2020-07-24T14:59:50Z")
I agree - better than my suggestion! ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-biden-should-hammer-trump/915495/73 "2020-07-24T15:03:40Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > No, the tax issue is _brand new._ > Biden can lead with: “Anyone can see my income tax returns on my website. I have nothing to hide. Mr. Trump is terrified of what you will see in his returns, so he’s refused to release them." He didn’t release his tax returns in 2016 either. Good grief, is there a single voter in the United States that doesn’t know Trump hasn’t released his tax returns? “What?? Trump didn’t release his TAX RETURNS? What is he hiding??” People are numb to this. They don’t care. If they did, it would have been successfully exploited already. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-biden-should-hammer-trump/915495/74 "2020-07-24T15:22:29Z")
I’m no Trump defender, but the tax returns are almost meaningless. Anyone of hefty wealth has vastly complicated tax returns that show very little income. Paraphrasing something Warren Buffett famously said maybe 15 years ago, “When my secretary pays more taxes than I do, you know something is broken in our tax system.” The complete set of Trump’s “tax returns” would need to include every business he’s got an interest in, not just his personal 1040. Many of which are non-US entities with non-US tax returns. For sure a true and accurate full disclosure would be a treasure trove for prosecutors. But for the rest of us, even anti-Trump media, it would just be a wall of noise so yuge that by the time it could be analysed the flurry would be over. Recall how the (Panama Papers)[[Panama Papers - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Papers)] played out. Years of work & the result was so abstruse the public mostly ignored it. "Of course my taxable income is low: all excellent businessmen like myself have low taxable income." “Ask George Soros or Warren Buffet how much they pay. Zilch.” “The way to get rich is to not pay taxes; all my tax cuts for Ordinary Working Americans(r) are helping them get rich too”. The dismissive tweets practically write themselves. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-biden-should-hammer-trump/915495/75 "2020-07-24T15:29:54Z")
_sigh_ If that were the case _he would have already released them._ The point is - he’s _not_ going to release them, and he needs to be called a coward for not doing it. He’s clearly hiding something - and since he’s not going to release his returns, whatever he is hiding can be anything Biden wants… ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-biden-should-hammer-trump/915495/76 "2020-07-24T15:32:39Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > The point is - he’s _not_ going to release them, and he needs to be called a coward for not doing it. The point is - very few people care about this. It’s impact has already been felt and hammering him on this will have no impact on voters, and will only make Biden look lame. It’s yesterday’s news, or in this case, last election cycle’s news. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-biden-should-hammer-trump/915495/77 "2020-07-24T15:37:15Z")
As I have cited early - this is **not** the case. Almost 2/3 of people polled want to see them. But, once again - seeing his returns is not the point. The goal is to out-maneuver him. Force him into a corner by having Biden press him on it. He detests being forced to do anything - so either Biden forces him to release them, or Biden hammers him on how cowardly he is for not releasing them. It’s a win either way. Biden needs to be on the attack, not passively responding to Trump’s B.S. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-biden-should-hammer-trump/915495/78 "2020-07-24T15:37:38Z")
Calling him a coward? Weak-sauce. Trump has been called everything in the book. And lots of it has been harsher and every bit as deserved as that. I’m not saying there is nothing that will stick to Trump. His handling of covid definitely seems to be sticking. But this? No. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-biden-should-hammer-trump/915495/79 "2020-07-24T15:38:45Z")
COVID is not concrete enough. He’ll just say that he did a brilliant job, and cite how early estimates said that millions would die, and look how great he is doing. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-biden-should-hammer-trump/915495/80 "2020-07-24T15:51:33Z")
People dying is not concrete?? Really nothing more to say other than you don’t seem to be paying attention to what’s going on. Any new horrible thing is going to be THE THING that’s going to take down Trump. And then it isn’t. Taxes will definitely not be that thing, no matter how much Biden brings it up. The ONLY way taxes becomes a major issue is if they get leaked between now and November, and additionally confirm _speculation_ people already have about them. Covid literally has been the only thing that’s ever happened that is consistently pushing his polling numbers down, which is why he is trying to reverse course on it. If there’s ANY place to go in for the kill, that’s it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-biden-should-hammer-trump/915495.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-biden-should-hammer-trump/915495.md?page=5)