How bad could it get? America’s ugly election

From boardroom to bust

At the same time, the survey suggests Mr Biden’s effort to blunt Mr

Trump’s economic edge—by offering a more expansive definition

of the coronavirus crisis—could succeed. A small majority of Third

Way’s suburbanite voters already attributed the economic crisis in

part to Mr Trump’s poor management of the epidemic. A much

larger majority said the economy could not be fixed until the virus

had been brought under control. Both views are anathema to Mr

Trump, who has shirked responsibility for the health crisis, even

as he claims to have a recovery from the economic crisis in hand.

They appear to represent a clear opening for Mr Biden’s claim that

the president is not only culpable for the crisis but incapable of

leading America out of it. 

It is his strongest attack-line and, though it is never wrong to

denounce violence, he should not be swayed from it. With apolo-

gies to James Carville, this election is about the covid-economy,

stupid. (Albeit that, with additional apologies to Bill Clinton’s oft-

quoted strategist, Mr Biden must not forget law-and-order.) 

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It’s the covid-economy, stupid