This week is the launch of the Republican National Convention, and it’s a pivotal moment for President Trump and the Republican Party. It’s President Trump’s opportunity to highlight his forward vision for the country, and it’s his chance to tell the American people how he’ll lead us through the coronavirus pandemic.
Republicans need to put forth solutions for American workers and small business owners who continue to be impacted by COVID-19. Democrats failed to work with Republicans on another much needed stimulus bill, all while passing a $25 billion USPS stimulus bill for mail-in voting. For Democrats, this is all about politics to them and not about passing much needed legislation to help Americans who are out of work and need unemployment money, or small businesses that have run out of PPP funding and are now being forced to close their doors for good.
During the Democratic convention, they made an emotional appeal to voters, telling them that the sky is falling, but if it truly is, why didn’t they offer any substantive policy positions to correct course. They railed against President Trump and Republicans for everything wrong in America and the world. Still, they again did not provide any specific positions for what they would do to correct their perceived problems. Democrats’ failure to offer any substance is an opportunity for Republicans and President Trump to do the exact opposite.
During the Republican National Convention, Republicans and President Trump need to offer solutions for the rising crime and looting that have been wreaking havoc across the United States. Communities and businesses are being destroyed because of Democrats’ soft policies on crime.
Republicans need to talk about Democrats’ continued leftward push and calls for a socialist nation and the impact it will have on the United States. They need to talk about how under Democratic leadership capitalism will come to an end, and social welfare programs will bankrupt the country. To draw a contrast, Republicans can talk about opportunities under capitalism that can help lift people out of poverty. They need to talk about how, under a capitalist system, everyone has a chance to thrive and reach their version of the American dream. In essence, they need to give people hope, which is what so many desperately need.
President Trump has to strike to the right balance and differ from Biden in that he can talk about how great the economy was before COVID-19 and how under his leadership he can help America turn the page on the virus and get the economy running again. He needs to lean into the economic gains made during his presidency, and he has to illustrate that only under Republican leadership will those gains return.
Republicans also have an opportunity to talk directly to Americans, particularly America’s minority citizens, to offer them opportunities. Many communities across the United States have depended on Democratic leadership for decades, and yet, poverty persists. Republicans need to speak directly to those voters about their realities and not about emotionalism. It’s not about liking President Trump or Republicans, it’s about people’s well-being and way of life, and the fact is for many urban minorities their lives are in some cases worse than they were before.
This convention has to be about the future and moving forward. A president running for re-election has to tell the American people what he has done and what he continues to do to make the country work for all of its citizens. President Trump can draw a clear contrast between his plans and the plans proposed by Democrats.
This election is one of the most pivotal in our nation’s history. America is at a crossroads, and voters must decide if it’s going to embrace socialism, lawlessness, and open borders or if it’s going to embrace capitalism, faith, family, community, and opportunity, which is what the Republicans message needs to be: Opportunity for all Americans.
Armstrong Williams is manager/sole owner of Howard Stirk Holdings I & II Broadcast Television Stations and the 2016 Multicultural Media Broadcast Owner of the year.
www.armstrongwilliams.com | www.howardstirkholdings.com
