If you’re saying that Harris et al never said relevant and convincing things on either inflation or the border, I disagree. The Dems talked about both and made points that would convince any rational person.
The problem was that 50%+ of Americans never heard a word they said. Those Americans heard only what FoxNews and talk radio and right-wing podcasters and Elon Musk wanted them to hear.
In recent days I’ve seen several interviews with Spanish-speaking people who have family members who are undocumented. And they all voted for Trump and say “He won’t deport any of us, we all work and pay taxes and are law-abiding.”
And before and after they say this, Republicans are interviewed saying “yes, Trump will deport ALL the illegals* because they broke the law by coming here and by definition they are not law-abiding.”
And the Spanish-speaking interviewees still don’t know that this is coming because the news they access NEVER MENTIONS IT.
I’ve seen interviews with other Trump voters who had NO idea that he’d ever filed for bankruptcy. Who had NO idea that he’d been adjudged a sexual offender. Who had NO idea that his campaign had approved teleprompter remarks that Puerto Rico was a floating island of garbage.
They had NO idea.
We are amazed that so many could vote in the guy who promises to wreck the economy with tariffs and promises to put millions in deportation camps and promises to stop all actions that could ameliorate climate change.
They did it because they never heard anything about any of that, just as they never heard Harris talk about action on prices and inflation and the border. (And what on earth could she have done to break through their unwillingness to expose themselves to actual information?)
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*More than once in the past week I’ve heard Republicans “correcting” MSNBC or CNN hosts who use the term “undocumented;” IT’S ILLEGALS, they say.
ETA: I did believe Harris would win in a close race. Recent trends convinced me. That Iowa poll was impressive. And like others, I didn’t think Trump could get much above the ceiling he’d had before.