When President Donald Trump endorsed Congressman Mike Lawler and announced a rally for him at Rockland Community College in Suffern, I wondered whether that was politically wise.
It's one thing to endorse candidates in Republican primaries, where Trump's recent record of backing the eventual winner has been remarkably strong.
It's quite another to weigh in on a general election and publicly embrace a congressman representing one of the most competitive swing districts in America.
When I attended the Trump rally in Suffern, Lawler's speech was evidence that he understands the political tightrope he is walking and the need to thread the needle.
That is what nearly every serious political candidate in our coverage area is trying to do, at least in regional races where the electorate is more balanced between Republicans and Democrats.
One of the most revealing moments of the rally was when Lawler reminded the audience that he attended an appearance by then-President Joe Biden when Biden visited Westchester County several years ago.
Some in the crowd booed. But that was clearly the reaction Lawler was seeking.
Lawler also joked that Democrats spent millions of dollars trying to brand him as “MAGA Mike.” Then he noted that some conservatives have called him a “traitorous RINO,” meaning Republican in name only.
That, too, was politically astute. To moderates and independents, he was effectively saying: If some conservatives think I’m a RINO, perhaps I’m not as extreme as my opponents claim. To conservatives, he was saying: If Democrats are spending millions portraying me as MAGA Mike, perhaps I’m not as moderate as some Republicans fear.
That is threading the needle. Lawler needs Trump supporters. He also needs independents, moderate Republicans and some voters who may not love Trump but are open to voting for a Republican who they believe is focused on local concerns.
Democrats face the exact same challenge. The challenge for Democrats is not simply convincing voters that they oppose Trump. It is convincing voters that they can better address the issues that dominate conversations around kitchen tables throughout the Hudson Valley.
One reason I find the current Democratic primary interesting is that Cait Conley and Beth Davidson appear to understand the same political reality Lawler is confronting. Neither appears to be running a campaign centered on Donald Trump and both use language in their campaign materials that seem designed to appeal to the middle.
That is not necessarily true of every candidate in the race.
Effie Phillips-Staley's appearance on Hasan Piker's program struck me as politically tone-deaf in a district that includes a significant Orthodox Jewish population. Piker has generated controversy for comments about Israel, remarks that America “deserved 9/11,” and statements referring to some Orthodox Jews as “inbred.”
Phillips-Staley responded that Democrats should “build bridges, not burn them.”
I don't see how her appearance on Piker's show built bridges. There is a difference between building bridges and legitimizing voices that many voters view as openly offensive.
If the goal is winning a competitive general election in NY-17, I believe that episode raised serious questions about political judgment.
That is also why I thought Jennifer Colamonico, chair of the Putnam County Democratic Committee, made an important point in a recent City & State article when she said Democrats cannot simply run against Trump.
She is right. The voters who decide competitive races here are not necessarily looking for the loudest partisan voice. They are looking for someone who seems to understand their lives.
Both parties face the same challenge: appealing beyond their base.
In a place like New York’s 17th Congressional District, winning requires more than energizing the people who already agree with you. It requires persuading people who don't.
It requires threading the needle.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here