Michael Whatley’s handlers– and the GOP/ conservative regional media ecosystem– have focused heavily on Roy Cooper’s failings on the matter of crime.
Those failures are true enough, but there is a problem with this approach. As a general rule, United States Senators don’t do much about crime. It is, after all, primarily a local and state issue. Yes, Cooper’s weakness on crime is a clarion indicator of who he is; but it will not win Whatley the election.
What does Whatley need to do? He needs to discuss the specific radical agendas of the national Democrats– and tie Cooper to those plans. He needs to highlight how Cooper would give them an additional vote in the Senate to implement those agendas.
When you visit Whatley’s website, you will see that his discussion of the issues is purposefully vague. That needs to change. He needs to think through what Cooper’s votes would be in a Democratic-controlled Senate, and show specifically how he would be different. That means he needs to identify issues that will differentiate him from Cooper and favor him in the eyes of North Carolina voters.
That ought to be an easy task given the awfulness of the national Democrats and their issues during recent years.
I also believe he needs to illustrate how Cooper’s Covid tyranny foreshadows the types of things he would support in Washington.
Whatley is on track to lose this election. He needs to make a pivot because his current approach is not working.
Your advice is good, Triad.
He also would benefit if he could shake the strong impression he gives of being another worthless Uniparty Tom Tillis sort of person. He’s been a professional Republican all his life. Has he ever spoken out about any cause with passion? Heck, even without passion? Did he raise his voice when the chips were down during the Faucian dystopia? Say anything about the J6 persecutions? He’s been invisible through all the turmoil. The signs are that he’s just a party hack.
I agree, J. Sobran, that he is a bad candidate. He still can win, in spite of that, but his strategy will need to change. I wish Trump had not anointed him.