Localize the National Insanity

There’s a maxim that all elections are local, and that it’s better to localize elections for both federal House and state legislative races than it is to nationalize them.

In the time of Trump 2.0, I think we need to turn that maxim on its head.

Trump and his sycophantic henchman are practically begging for their opponents to us their own words, utter cluelessness and out-of-touchness (did I just make up a new word?) against them on the campaign trail and in campaign ads.

Examples:

• Scott Bessent on 12/7/25 (after, of course, blaming Biden): “The American people don’t know how good they have it.”

• Trump on 12/8/25 when asked what grade he would give the economy (after, of course, blaming Biden): “A plus plus plus plus plus.”

• Trump on 12/9/25 giving an “economics” speech in PA (after, of course, blaming Biden): “I met with senators and asked them, I said, ‘Why is it we only take people from s‑‑‑hole countries?’ Why can’t we have some people from Norway, Sweden, Denmark … but we always take people from Somalia — places that are filthy, dirty, disgusting,”

• Trump this past week calling “affordability” a “Democrat scam” (after, of course, blaming Biden): "The word affordability is a Democrat scam," Trump said. "They say it and then they go into the next subject…”

There is so much more but you get the point.

Now, of course, local issues (property taxes in NJ, federal employment cuts in Virginia, education funding in Colorado, energy production in Wyoming, etc.) will always play a significant part in any campaign in a candidate’s district. And they should not be ignored.

However, I believe the sheer audacity of Trump 2.0 constantly telling the American people not to believe their lying eyes has become the overriding wedge to pry independents, former D voters who broke R in the last cycle, and even some stalwart non-MAGA Rs who are finally fed up away from voting for Republicans and towards voting for Democrats at every level of office.

While Mamdani ran on the cost of housing in NYC, he was really running on affordability. Two Democrats elected statewide to the Public Service Commission were not elected because Georgia suddenly likes Ds better than Rs; it was due to the coast of electricity (read: affordability). Same in yesterday’s election of a Democratic mayor in Miami for the first time in nearly 230 years.

While the “Shithole countries” remark might seem more touchy as a localized campaign subject, I believe most voters (not all - some MAGA are clearly - first and foremost - white nationalist racist) are more tolerant than we realize and are repulsed by such overtly racist talk.

So by all means, candidates in races should run on key district issues. But I believe the common thread in all races should be the fealty of all Republicans to Trumpism, and showing the public that Trumpism is ugly, venal, and clearly out-of-touch with what people are experiencing in their everyday lives. Make Republican candidates up and down the ballot own - and try to defend - Trumpism. Let’s play on our home field where the odds are ever in our favor.