On Friday, I outlined 8 reasons why conservatives should oppose Donald Trump, while yesterday's post looked at 5 theories why, despite all that baggage, Trump's message resonates with a large segment of voters.
Now the final piece of the puzzle: What to take from this, and what to do about it.
I believe that beating Trump requires Trump’s challengers and critics to learn from Trump and mimic some of what he does. No, not his policies, nor his demagoguery, nor his boorishness. But his ability to communicate to "regular voters,"certainly.
1) Communicate with regular people in mind. Don’t target just “Republican supervoters” or National Review readers. Stop talking like policy wonks and in sound bites. Speak plainly and from the heart.
2) Make news; stir the pot. Attract attention. Don’t be afraid to say things that will be controversial, if it’s what you believe. Recognize that bad press coverage can be good for you, no press coverage is always bad. Throw the traditional playbook of campaign consultants out the window.
(As an aside: there's a number of signs that is starting to happen now).
3) Be genuine. People voter for the person, not the policies, not the suit, not the consulted-designed robot. Let them see more of what you're really like.
4) Spend a boatload of money. This includes messages to break through the Trump-dominated media, and to tell regular people about Trump. I couldn’t believe when I read that only 4 percent of SuperPAC spending had been used to attack Trump. Duh, no wonder he’s winning.
Thankfully, this too appears to be changing.
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