Political Communication 2020 Campaign Analysis Blog: Stump Campaigning

Wednesday, September 9, 2020

Stump Campaigning – Tuesday, September 15th (Blog #3)

Compare the stump campaigning strategies of the Trump and Biden teams. What impact has the pandemic had on stump campaigning? What are the top talking points on the campaign trail? How would you characterize the media coverage of the candidates’ campaign events? Finally, why does stump campaigning remain an important part of the political process? Along with referring to one of the textbook readings and one of the articles posted on Blackboard for this week to support your response, you must offer examples of media coverage from at least two different media outlets. These will count as your additional articles for this week (so there are a minimum of four sources required this week).

57 comments:

UnknownSeptember 14, 2020 at 12:35 PM
Erin Fennell

Stump campaigning has a very historically significant role in elections. While it has evolved over the years to a less literal meaning, it describes a campaign that schedules many in person appearances where the candidate gives short, standard speeches. Obviously, during this pandemic, in person campaigning and stump campaigning has been shifted to smaller gatherings and more of a virtual experience. The difference between these two candidates stump campaigns is most related to their own following of the Covid advised guidelines. In the article by Zeke Miller and Alexandra Jaffe, the authors discuss how at the most recent Trump rally, “‘[people were] as far as the eye can see,” …reveling at the sight of people flouting public health guidelines at Tuesday’s event” (Miller and Jaffe). While the turnout was nowhere near the amount of people at a typical stump campaign rally, that is a huge attendance for the current times and resembles a more “normal” stump campaign than Candidate Biden has been doing. While Biden is also visiting states and making in person speeches, he is doing it on a much smaller level. He is strictly enforcing state guidelines at his rallies, and like the rest of Biden's campaign strategy, is attempting to show that he is the opposite of Trump to win over voters. An article by the Washington post quotes Biden, saying, ““Donald Trump’s voter outreach fails to understand the concerns of Americans right now” (Dawsey et al.). By having an opposite campaign as Trump, Biden hopes to win over the large population of people who dislike him and everything he stands for as president.
The content of these stump speeches is direct, since they are meant to be on the shorter side. This is a great opportunity for candidates to show what is important to them, their campaign, and their voter bases. During Biden's visit to PA, he discusses his plans for the economy and healthcare, but also specifically discusses the impact of the pandemic overall on women, specifically women of color, which is a very important demographic for Biden (Austin). Biden also uses these speeches to again try and set him and his campaign as opposite from Trump saying, “"When it comes to COVID-19, after months of doing nothing other than predicting the virus would disappear or maybe if you drank bleach you may be okay, Trump has simply given up” (Austin). Trump also directs his speech and its content toward his current voter base. Trump uses his allotted time primarily to discuss his disagreement with the notion of defunding the police, and only a small portion of time discussing issues such as tax cuts and healthcare (Greenberg and Drobnic Holan).
While stump campaigning has changed from what it began as, it still plays an important role in today's elections. Any media coverage or opportunity for the candidates to reach audiences with their messages is important to the election. Stump campaigns give candidates a chance to share their views in a more personal way. The media, whether we like it or not, has a bias. In person campaigns give people who are interested enough to attend a more realistic look into what the candidates believe. The textbook states that “The following three examples from national elections illustrate how responsive journalism is so immediate and prone to greater error (Mayer and Semiatin 144-145) One example showed reporter Dan Rather publishing an article that was factually flawed. The textbook explains how "Rather, long accused by conservatives of having a liberal bias, faced difficult questions about how he had accepted legitimate anti-Bush documents rejected by other mainstream media outlets as highly questionable” (Mayer and Semiatin 144-145). The media makes mistakes and makes it very difficult to know what is true in elections. Stump campaigns, while still covered by the media, give people the opportunity to see in person a candidate's vision and not completely rely on the media for knowledge.

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Claire FaulknerSeptember 14, 2020 at 1:07 PM
At a crucial time for the presidential nominees to be interacting with voters in swing states, the pandemic has become a barrier to many customary campaigning processes – for one candidate more than the other. With varying COVID-19 rules and restrictions from state to state, the nominees’ abilities to hold rallies, call news conferences, and make media appearances that allow them to “address voters directly” has been limited (“Recurring Forms of Political Campaign Communication”). Biden and Trump have reacted to these restrictions in opposite ways. “Mr. Biden emphasizes guidelines supported by local health officials while Mr. Trump rails against restrictions that he argues, without evidence, are politically motivated” (Miller and Jaffe). This has resulted in small, personal meetings for the former and large, mostly unmasked, events for the latter. In my opinion, both candidates’ reactions to COVID-19 seem to be aligned with the values of their loyal supporters. It is yet to be seen how their adjusted campaigning strategies will affect swing voters.

Some of the biggest topics of discussion on the campaign trail have been improving the economy and helping American businesses. These talking points have been especially important to emphasize in the Rust Belt, where important swing states are located. Trump has criticized his opponent’s past support of NAFTA and claimed that American businesses will fall victim to China under Biden’s direction. Biden has argued that Trump did not uphold his promises to create more manufacturing jobs and improve the economy (Sullivan and Stein). These discussions come at a time when many American businesses are suffering the effects of COVID-19. The pandemic impacts many aspects of American life, and thus, many of the talking points of the election. For this reason, I believe the virus has made this one of the most polarized elections in history.

The divide can be seen in campaign coverage. COVID-19 is mentioned in the majority of articles written about campaign events and news outlets generally take a stance on the candidate’s regard for the virus. The CNN article “Trump to hold first entirely indoor rally in nearly three months” emphasizes the incumbent’s disregard for COVID-19 restrictions, stating, “The indoor event, which comes as US coronavirus deaths near 200,000, follows a turbulent week for the President as his campaign navigates the fall out of his Covid-19 response” (Bohn and Leblanc). The contrasting Fox News article “Trump Rallies in Nevada to Fight for Votes in Key Battleground State” speaks little about the virus and mostly covers his attacks on Joe Biden. It uses many quotes from Trump, unlike the CNN article. There are two clear sides on the COVID-19 crisis and news organizations have picked their side while reporting.

Despite the restrictions of the virus, stump campaigning has remained an important element of the 2020 election. Opportunities for the nominees to address their supporters and receive news coverage are a crucial component of election season. It is more important than ever for the candidates to interact directly with voters, since “39 percent of Americans believe that the news they see on television, read in newspapers, or hear on radio is misinformation” and 66% do not trust news on social media (Recurring Forms of Political Campaign Communication). Biden and Trump realize the importance of visibility and face-to-face interaction with voters. In my opinion, their unique reactions to COVID-19 could play a large role in securing swing voters. For many, Trump’s lack of care during the pandemic is enough to sway their vote. I believe that the opinions of swing voters on COVID-19 could be one of the deciding factors of this election.
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Jailynn CaraballoSeptember 14, 2020 at 7:11 PM
Jailynn Caraballo

Stump Campaigning has changed over time but has always involved how a candidate campaigns in person in the form of short speeches. Because of the pandemic we are currently facing, in person campaigning has been reduced and new methods have been explored. Though candidates are still traveling from state to state, holding big open functions for many to attend is discouraged. The stump campaign strategies of both Trump and Biden have been very different overall. One of the biggest stump speeches Biden gave was on January 4th in Vinton, Iowa. “Former Vice President Joe Biden portrays himself as the experienced adult at the grown-ups table in the Democratic primary” (PolitiFact, Amy Sherman). During this speech, VP Biden shared a few of his accomplishments and explained that he was not only a “good guy” but the “right guy”. His speech was straight to the point and only lasted 47 min. Biden was able to address his voters, address those in support of Kamala Harris, go through his vast list of qualifications, and bash Pres. Trump. This has been how much of Biden’s talking moments have gone and it seems like Democrats are eating it up. One of Pres. Trump’s biggest stump speeches he gave on June 20th in Tulsa, Oklahoma.“Trump spent over six minutes explaining why he walked unsteadily down a ramp at the graduation of West Point cadets in June” (PolitiFact, Jon Greenberg and Angie Drobnic Holan). During this speech, Pres. Trump spoke about some recent states he had visited and exclaimed that life in Biden’s America would be nothing but chaos and destruction. He went on to talk about the Black Lives Matter movement and why it is hurtful to the “law-abiding American citizen”. These are a few of the points Pres. Trump has brought up during his campaign. His speech lasted for 1 hour and 40 min. You can see how in both of these speeches the candidate has presented why they are fit to be president and why the other candidate is not.
The media coverage of each candidate's campaign events has been very Coronavirus centered. “North Carolina caps outdoor gatherings at 50 people to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, but don’t tell that to President Donald Trump. He basked in a largely mask-less crowd of several thousand supporters during a campaign rally in this critical state. A day earlier, in Pennsylvania, Mr. Trump’s Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, held a socially distanced meeting in a backyard. His team has been so attentive to local regulations that some staffers have left the room if they risked breaking the rules on crowd limits” (In a Pandemic, How US Presidential Campaign Strategies Diverge, The Christian Science Monitor). This news article solely covers how Biden’s campaign has been taking extra precautious during this time and how Trump’s has not. And this article isn’t the only one of its kind.
I do believe that stump campaigning remains an important part of the political process. It is a great way for voters to hear from their candidates in an unedited way. It also helps the average American stay up to date on their parties goals and ideals. Stump campaigning has helped me understand more of what Biden is looking for during his presidency and helped me understand what Trump is looking for in a second term. I think without stump campaigns it would be harder for voters to stay up to date on their candidates and to really understand them. According to the book on page 184, “Candidates normally announce that they are seeking public office through a formal address to the public. However, this formal address is rarely the first act of the campaign.” Since presidential candidates introduce themselves through speeches, I think it is only fair that throughout their campaign they continue to give speeches. These speeches keep their voters energized and excited for their potential election.
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UnknownSeptember 14, 2020 at 9:02 PM
Lille Gaeta
The pandemic has had an impact on many parts of both candidate’s campaigns, but one notable impact is on stump campaigning for both candidates, to which Trump and Biden have taken different approaches. The Trump campaign is “fueled by in-person events, raucous gatherings and defiant crowds flouting health rules; [Biden’s] driven by quiet, small-bore events with everyone masked and spaced apart” (Dawsey et al.). Trump’s large gatherings more closely resemble the “normal” stump campaigning, while Biden’s small gatherings demonstrate the country’s “new normal”. Biden is trying to convey to voters, especially in the key swing states, that he is unlike Trump by conveying his rationality by following all the precautionary health measures for COVID. Biden is attempting to convey that Trump does not have the competency that comes with being in office, because “the presidency stands for competency; therefore, the person who holds the office can easily convey that impression” (Denton et al.). The Biden campaign strongly emphasizes the fact that they believe Trump does not have the competency for another term, and that has been proved by his track record from the past four years. Trump continues with in-person campaign and the RNC prides itself on personal encounters as opposed to digital contact. The RNC’s national field director Elliot Echols said that the party has knocked on over 1 million doors every week in August, doubling the amount from the 2016 election (Dawsey et al.).
A key talking point for both campaigns has been visions on the future of policing in America. Trump has a hard, pro-policing stance, while Biden has backed away from that “by urging liberal reforms to policing to limit the use of force” (Pearce). For Biden, this issue is key to attracting the vote from the Black community, which is one of his main voting blocs he needs in order to get a victory in November. This issue saw a rise in importance following the death of George Floyd back in May. COVID remains a top talking point for Biden, while Trump’s handle on the issue “has not been a defining issue of his presidency for long” (Karni). How his administration handled COVID will be a deciding factor to a lot of voters, especially in the key swing states.
The media has a much more positive view on the Biden campaign and frequently highlights how the Biden campaign is making sure to follow the health measures in place in each state the campaign goes to, while describing Trump’s campaign events as “against restrictions that he argues, without evidence, are politically motivated” (Miller and Jaffe).
Stump campaigning remains key because it helps voters to hear the candidates out on the key issues for that election cycle, in a short, succinct way. For a lot of voters, how a candidate stands on one issue in particular might be the key to deciding who they will vote for. Stump speeches allow the candidates to focus on key issues to their campaigns and the public in general.
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Brianna MejiaSeptember 14, 2020 at 9:12 PM
Brianna Mejia 1/2

The pandemic has had varying effects on stump campaigning in the 2020 election, however, the solutions that candidates have come up with are almost completely opposite. The Biden campaign has taken on the “responsible” approach, holding rallies in compliance with state occupancy laws with masks and social distancing. According to the article "In a Pandemic, How US Presidential Campaign Strategies Diverge" by Zeke Miller and Alexandra Jaffe, Biden’s smaller events have been helping him have personal interactions with important voting blocs, even though most of these interactions are scripted. On the other hand, the Trump campaign is taking the “defiant” route, holding large events that violate state occupancy laws as well as not wearing masks or not testing at all. Although the Biden campaign has switched its efforts virtual (phone and text), according to the article "Campaign of Contrasts: Trump’s Raucous Crowds vs. Biden’s Distanced Gatherings" by Josh Dawsey, Michael Scherer, and Annie Linskey, the Trump campaign continues to use in-person rallies (almost 31,000 in-person campaign events since June 11) and knocking on doors. The pandemic has made some stump campaigning go virtual as well as limiting the size of some gatherings and making the rallies feel more intimate. The article, “Pence Campaigning in Western Pa., Praises Pro-Life Stance During 'Fireside Chat’” by Julian Routh, mentions how even the Trump campaign has been able to create imitate settings for stump campaigning with Pence visiting churches in socially distanced settings.

The top talking points of both campaigns are very similar to the key issues that will decide the election. This includes the economic recession as a result of the pandemic, the coronavirus response, social movements such as the black lives matter movement, as well as health care, climate change, and student debt.

While events are being covered by both liberal and conservative media outlets, it is obvious that media coverage of these events is extremely polarized. I analyzed two media outlets coverage of the same event one from CNN and one from Fox News. The CNN article titled “No social distancing and few masks as the crowd waits for Trump rally in Nevada” by Boris Sanchez calls out the Trump campaign for violating social distancing guidelines and the inaccurate measures that the rallies were taking. On the other hand, the Fox article “Trump rallies in Nevada to fight for votes in key battleground state” by Morgan Phillips and Brie Stimson focuses on the successes of the rally and blames governors for trying to ruin the rallies. It focuses more on what the president said and even starts by saying “President Trump came out swinging Saturday evening at a rally in Nevada” (Phillips, Stimson). I would characterize this media coverage as having a very specific agenda. Not only that, but according to an excerpt from “Campaigns on the Cutting Edge” by Richard J. Semiatin and Jeremy D. Mayer, ideological groups are the new press. These groups report on campaigns putting out obviously biased information that are meant to inform and persuade (Richard J. Semiatin and Jeremy D. Mayer, 145). The normal citizen may not know that this and be easily persuaded by this biased media.
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Mariam ShawishSeptember 14, 2020 at 9:37 PM
Mariam Shawish (1/2)

With all the changes that comes with 2020, campaigning strategies are no exception. Like many other political things, the meaning of stump campaigning has evolved over years, but essentially it is describing when campaigns are making frequent visits to states and giving the same boring speech. When it comes to campaigning, we all know that President Trump and former Vice- President Biden, have two completely different approaches. For President Trump, his campaign is taking on an incumbency style for its campaigning strategies. According to Denton “Incumbency campaigning is a blend of both symbolic and pragmatic communication strategies designed to make any candidate appear both as good enough for the office sought and as possessing the office” (Denton 63). Essentially, President Trump is trying to assure the American public that he is a good enough president to get reelected. On the other hand, Biden’s stump strategies revolve around proving to the American public that he will make a better President than Mr. Trump. For example, “Mr. Biden gave a speech last week focused on the Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus at a university building in Pittsburgh” (Miller and Jaffe).
As for how the pandemic has impacted each of the campaign strategies, it is safe to say that each campaign is approaching it very differently. We have “the Trump campaign attempting to cast life as largely normal, while Biden and his campaign largely stay at home” (Dawsey, Scherer and Linskey). President Trump as we all know is trying to dismiss the pandemic any chance he gets. President Trump is still rallying as he did four years ago, he is “downplaying the continued severity of the virus. The strategy poses some risks” (Dawsey, Scherer and Linskey). On the contrary, you have Biden who “has barely left his home without a mask for months, and he makes a point of keeping voters … at a distance from himself and one another. Events at drive-in theaters have been kept under 50 …to respect state guidelines” (Dawsey, Scherer and Linskey).
Since President Trump is taking it upon himself to act like we are not in a global pandemic, Covid-19 is not one of his main talking points when it comes to campaigning. Instead, Trump’s main talking point, just like it was in 2016, is the topic of immigration. According to a New York Times article, “immigration crackdown has remained one of the policy issues that enlivens his base. Mr. Trump has even tried to use immigration as a way to change the subject from criticism of his administration’s handling of the pandemic” (Karni). On the other end of the spectrum, you have Biden who is focusing completely on the coronavirus. According to a BBC article, Biden “wants to establish at least 10 testing centers in every state, call upon federal agencies to deploy resources and give firmer national guidance through federal experts” (BBC). With all that being said, it is fair to say that the media coverage of each campaign is centered around how the candidates are approaching the pandemic. On one hand, you have liberal sources such as CNN who are consistently bashing Trump for how he is handling the pandemic. Then we have conservative outlets, such as Fox, that are essentially making fun of Biden for taking precautions.
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Jaime PietrosimoneSeptember 14, 2020 at 10:43 PM
Jaime Pietrosimone

When I was younger, my father always stressed the importance of persistence and vitality when pursuing something I greatly wanted. Whether it was studying for a test so I could earn that A or following up in person to better my chances of landing that job, possessing a relentless drive was pressed into my work ethic. Similarly, in politics, stump campaigning is important because it shows the national public you want the job. It is “a crucial part of campaigning and an opportunity for potential voters to meet the candidate” (McMahon, 2020) and allows even an unenthused voter to become familiar with the candidate which could be pivotal in any political race, especially the Presidential Election of 2020.

Due to the pandemic, the typical stumping grounds have changed. Long gone are the days where a candidate can go up to a supporter to shake their hand or hug a child. President Donald Trump, who is always up for a challenge, even if it is a pandemic that has taken the lives of almost 198,000 United States residents, is doing the most to maintain public appearances and adhere to traditional formats focusing on topics such as law and order as well as restoring our nation’s economy. Trump thrives in public arenas and builds motivation for his campaign as the star of the show. As a consequence, Trump’s style brings extra criticism to his campaign. Just recently, Trump was blasted by Nevada’s Democratic Governor, Steve Sisolak for holding a massive indoor rally. Medical science shows that the Covid disease spreads when people are together, driving home the point that Trump will go to any lengths to demonstrate his strengths.

Meanwhile, in the basement, Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden “emphasizes guidelines supported by local health officials” (Miller and Jaffe, 2020) and has limited his amount of public appearances. It is only recently that Biden has scheduled more outdoor political events. His style, which Barry Brummett defines as “a complex system of actions, objects, and behaviors that is used to form messages that announce who we are, who we want to be and who we want to be considered akin to” (Denton, 53) is embodying a more kinder, mindful and consoling strategy. Biden’s hope with approaching the pandemic and other top issues in a more sensitive manner is to bring America together, make the nation less divisive and as a whole, more peaceful.

In looking at media coverage on the Presidential campaigns, networks clearly distinguish which candidate they are supporting by the way the report a headline. A prime example would be Biden’s first press conference. Not only was it criticized that Biden was thrown “softball questions” but he was clearly reading off a teleprompter, most notably when he recited “end quote” while answering a question. CNN and MSNBC proclaimed the conference as a success while FOX news made it a point to cite Biden’s blunders. Another example would be Donald Trump’s Interview with Bob Woodward of the liberal Washington Post, who wrote a book entitled Rage in which he stated the President “possessed specific knowledge that could have saved lives” surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. (Schwartz, 2020). CNN and MSNBC went as far as to call Trump a murderer while FOX news stated he followed science as illustrated by his early banning of travel to China.

The next fifty days will define the differences in the candidates more decisively as they hone in their platforms and ready themselves for the three nationally televised debates.
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McKayla NorrisSeptember 14, 2020 at 11:35 PM
Stump campaigning in the 2020 election is equally important than it has been in the past despite the restrictions that the pandemic has presented. Historically, stump speeches were delivered on actual tree “stumps”, but now that symbolic name refers to the ways in which the candidates establish their values and their plans for their presidency. The stump speeches serve as another way of solidifying emotional connections with their voters. Though the model might be slightly different, the strategies of President Trump and Democratic nominee Biden are more thought out than ever. Stump campaigning consists of moving around the campaign trail and giving speeches to local and personalized audiences. The campaign trail looks different for Trump than it does for Biden due to the disregard for pandemic regulations. Specifically, in a recent rally in North Carolina, Donald Trump “basked in a largely maskless crowd of several thousand supporters during a campaign rally in this critical state”(Miller & Jaffe, 2020). Biden, on the other hand, has been more attentive to the pandemic restrictions by enforcing masks and using other campaign tactics such as motorcades and virtual experiences to reach his audience.

During these stump campaigns, each candidate aims to exploit the weaknesses of the other. The topic of discussion remained mostly about economics, the Coronavirus, and shots at the other candidate. In Michigan, Biden discussed President Trump’s economic aspirations saying he “had fallen well short of his promises to stem a tide of job losses and outsourcing”(Sullivan & Stein, 2020). Along with this, Biden used this opportunity to project his agenda onto his potential supporters and propose what his plan for economic success in America will look like. On the other hand, President Trump focused on calling Joe Biden a “globalist sellout” who helped engineer the widespread loss of American jobs. Donald Trump also said “Joe Biden’s agenda is made in China. My agenda is made in the U.S.A”(Mason, 2020). Though the candidates talking points were mostly about America’s economic status, the pandemic response was also considered as Biden gave a speech regarding the Trump Administrations’ response to the Coronavirus.

In terms of media coverage at campaign events, according to Denton “the coverage is likely to center on the horse-race aspects of the coming campaign: the chances the candidate has of winning and the tactics the candidate will employ to win, rather than the message of the candidate to voters” (Denton, 2020). For Trump and Biden, the media coverage has been very polarized depending on which media source was covering the campaign. For media outlets such as CNN and FOX news which are so openly biased, the media coverage focused heavily on the wins of their favored candidates and the failures of the opposer. For example, an article from Fox News reads in regards to the recent stump campaigning that “Trump is narrowing Biden’s lead even as the liberal media works overtime to expunge Joe Biden’s long history of lying and plagiarizing that in a more honest era booted him from a prior presidential contest” (Peek, 2020). Contradicting, a report from CNN says, “President Trump offered a glaring new example of his refusal to put medical science before politics with a large indoor rally Sunday night that made a mockery of social distancing, while the pandemic he mismanaged has now claimed more than 194,000 American lives” (Nobles, 2020). Agenda setting in the media is prevalent as the campaigns inch closer to election day.

Stump campaigning remains an important part of the political process because it gives candidates the chance to voice their plans for if they are elected as the next president. Stump speeches and stump campaigning allow for the candidates to drill their ideas into their voters at home while reaching important audiences in various locations.

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UnknownSeptember 14, 2020 at 11:50 PM
Jessica Bischer

Typically following the nominating conventions, presidential candidates will hit the ground running on their campaign trails, sweeping up any last-minute swing voters. First, let's take a look at the ideologies of both nominees stump campaigns.

Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016, in large part to his unconventionality. He connected with voters that hadn't bothered with the election in decades in fear of alienation (Semiatin 88). As the incumbent, the president will continue this "no-nonsense" strategy that excites a large group of voters. Donald Trump's ability to attack his competitors without the use of a surrogate speaker will also be a prominent strategy in the 2020 election (Denton 84). Trump has already logged numerous call-outs on nominee Joe Biden. These include making a mockery for wearing a mask during a global pandemic, insinuating false claims in regards to Biden's alleged connections with China, and calling the Democratic nominee's health in question on several occasions (Fritze, Jackson).

On the other hand, the former VP's campaign goals and strategies are less clear cut. For months, the general public did not have a great idea of what encompassed the Biden campaign besides beating Donald Trump. However, following the DNC and the first week or so of stump campaigning, a platform begins to emerge. In his nomination speech, Biden delivers a soothing message to America, "I will be an ally of the light, not the darkness." Pandemic life for the majority of Americans is a struggle and what many voters desire is a helping hand. The DNC let America know that the Democrats stand for progress towards change. Biden emphasizes that he is not afraid to fight for America and to not confuse his kindness for weakness (Monantaro).

The obvious elephant in the room, COVID-19, can not be ignored. Candidates on either side have made adjustments to their stump campaign trails in light of the pandemic, both big and small.
President Trump has attempted to enforce a return to normalcy, continuing to hold events despite warnings from public health officials. Many attendees of Trump's recent rallies report very few masks and signs of social distancing (Dawsey et al.). The president also made positive comments about the crowd he had drawn in North Carolina that violated state COVID guidelines (Jaffe, Miller). On the opposite side, however, Biden's number one priority, according to his nomination speech, is addressing the virus head-on, stating, "on Day One, we'll implement the national strategy I've been laying out since March." Biden also continues to hold almost entirely virtual campaign events, further demonstrating to voters that he will be taking the pandemic seriously if elected president (Dawsey et al.).

Stump speeches have served as a way for voters to understand candidates' key policies throughout the campaign trail. As everything else in the electoral world has changed throughout history, stump speeches are no exception. The modern idea of a stump campaign is still the basic ideology candidates stand for but also the strategies of engagement with staff, rivals, voters, and the press (Denton 202).
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UnknownSeptember 14, 2020 at 11:50 PM
Dawsey, Josh, and Michael Scherer. “Campaign of Contrasts: Trump's Raucous Crowds vs. Biden's Distanced Gatherings.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 9 Sept. 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/campaign-of-contrasts-trumps-raucous-crowds-vs-bidens-distanced-gatherings/2020/09/08/8633e69a-f1dc-11ea-b796-2dd09962649c_story.html.
Denton, Robert E., et al. Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices. Rowman & Littlefield, 2020.
Fritze, John, and David Jackson. “Trump Mocks Biden for Mask-Wearing, Dismisses Health Questions in Pennsylvania Rally.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 4 Sept. 2020, www.usatoday.com/story/news/2020/09/03/trump-rally-latrobe-pennsylvania-race-biden-tightens/5701191002/.
Miller, Zeke, and Alexandra Jaffe. “In a Pandemic, How US Presidential Campaign Strategies Diverge.” The Christian Science Monitor, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Sept. 2020, www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2020/0909/In-a-pandemic-how-US-presidential-campaign-strategies-diverge.
Montanaro, Domenico. “Biden Promises 'Light' After Trump's 'Darkness': 7 Takeaways From The DNC.” NPR, NPR, 21 Aug. 2020, www.npr.org/2020/08/21/904502053/biden-promises-light-after-trump-s-darkness-7-takeaways-from-the-dnc.
Semiatin, Richard J. Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. CQ Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc., 2021.
“Read Presidential Nominee Joe Biden's Acceptance Speech.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2020, www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-08-21/joe-biden-acceptance-speech.
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AnonymousSeptember 15, 2020 at 1:38 AM
Shannon Flaherty
Trump is looking past state coronavirus limitations and continuing to hold events that are drawing thousands of people. Of the people in attendance, few wear masks, and there are even less people observing social distancing. Following Trump’s Tulsa rally, health officials even deemed that the rallies as well as protests contributed to the spike in cases Tulsa experienced (Manchester). Trump has even been warned about his crowd sizes, and claims his aides aren’t doing a good job limiting them. Some have gone as far as to say Trump’s current rallies resemble those prior to his election with roaring crowds standing side by side wearing no masks. It appears Trump is “continuing to put his own supporters in harm’s way because it helps him politically” (Fritze). Biden has scaled his in-person appearances way back by holding socially distanced meetings in backyards while being attentive to local regulations. These small gatherings give him an advantage for more intimate conversations with people (Miller). It’s no surprise “seven in 10 americans say they see Biden as caring to those affected by the coronavirus...while less than half say the same of Trump” (Fritze). Health officials, such as Dr. Fauci, are even fed up with Trump’s campaigning because he should be setting an example for the nation over which he presides and he should stop pretending the virus is “politically motivated” (Miller). Biden took off his tradition of walking in Philadelphia’s annual Labor Day parade yet attended a virtual meeting with AFL-CIO. Biden drew a crowd, like he has done at other events, however he keeps his distance while still pleasing crowds with an anecdote or a wave from a building like in Harrisburg (Fritze.) The vice presidential candidates have also been stepping out on the campaign trail. Harris, following in Biden’s footsteps has been mostly virtual- while Pence, like Trump has been not caring about the pandemic and continuing to travel (Janes).
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Matthew BruinSeptember 15, 2020 at 2:11 AM
Matthew Bruin
PART ONE

Stump campaigning strategies have been a traditional and popular practice used in United States politics for many years allowing presidential candidates to connect with voters regarding big key issues and selling points in their bid for office, while also emphasizing why they are running. According to Rover Lehrman, “political speech material should be persuasive, likable, upbeat, understandable to ‘average folks,’ quotable, and able to use again and again” (Denton 164), and with such definition, stump speeches and campaigning strategies aim at doing just that.

When looking at both the Biden and Trump campaigning strategies, it is clear that both candidates and teams have completely different campaigning techniques, styles, and motivations, especially this year due to COVID-19. Starting off, Trump’s stump campaign strategy has been described as being “fueled by in-person events, raucous gatherings and defiant crowds flouting health rules,” while Biden’s campaign has been noted as being “quiet, small-bore events with everyone masked and spaced apart” (Dawsey, Scherer, Linskey). Additionally, it is clear that Biden is running his campaign from his home while intensely following COVID guidelines, while Trump is continuing on with his regular tactics that proved to be successful in his 2016 bid for office. When looking into these campaign approaches it is important to understand how each candidate and their stump campaigning strategies are being impacted by COVID and how traditional stump campaign strategies have changed. For example, due to many restrictions that limit gatherings, stump campaigning is understandably more difficult today because it is making it harder for Trump or Biden to gather and give speeches on the “stump.” Although Trump is still holding rallies in person with large crowds, if COVID did not exist, Trump would be holding many more rallies understandably with larger crowds in many more states. On the other hand, while trying to follow guidelines, Biden has been focused on doing interviews online with people such as Cardi B, or James Cordon in an effort to connect with voters in a more personal way which in some ways acts to replace the regular stump speech style. Biden has also held smaller roundtable discussions in an effort to start conversation about the elections talking points and campaigning key issues. In the end, although COVID-19 has made stump campaigning harder, it is clear that both candidates are still continuing this traditional style of campaigning in order to connect and reach voters. Additionally, while looking at this election year in particular, each candidate has been focusing on certain talking points emphasizing one’s differences for the good and the bad. For example, a few major talking points right now include the COVID-19 response, law enforcement funding and reform surrounding civil rights, and concerns and plans with the economy in the light of economic uncertainty. With such controversial topics, during these stump speeches each candidate is focusing on telling voters that they are better candidate while also explaining why. In some way this is increasing political division between candidates and voters.
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Matthew BruinSeptember 15, 2020 at 2:11 AM
Matthew Bruin
PART TWO

Regardless of either Trump or Biden’s stump campaign style, it is clear that the media is covering both Trump and Biden in different lights. To start out, I would like to highlight the inconstancies and the bias the news has had when covering Trump and his campaign. For example, since the start of the pandemic Trump has been criticized regarding his COVID response. With that being said, whatever Trump did, the media found something to criticize and to complain about overall blaming Trump for everything. Now regardless of any improvements with COVID, Trump is continuously being slammed. The best example highlighting this bias comes when comparing gatherings of crowds with different movements. For example, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the media covered large protests and riots of George Floyd as acceptable and historic, while heavily criticizing Trump by holding peaceful campaign rallies. For example, a report from CNN wrote that “President Trump is ‘clearly flirting with disaster’ by holding rallies and attending events without wearing a mask” (Erdman, LeBlanc). With this notion of reporting that thousands gathering and not social distancing while protesting be acceptable while on the other hand, for Trump rallies be unacceptable I think is too ironic to claim. In showing this alone, it is clear that the media is creating a narrative that favors narratives that go against President Trump overall dismissing COVID-19 health concerns when convenient.

On the other hand, however, Biden and his campaign is being praised by the media regardless of his lack of public appearances. What stands out for me with this, is the fact that with theme of Democrats “settling” for Biden during this election season, I think it is scary that the media doesn’t not want to criticize Biden in any way, shape, or form as badly as many media outlets are doing for Trump. For example, instead of aggressively pointing out Biden and his gaffes, the media seems to sweep any concerns under the rug by instead covering Biden’s campaign by praising his COVID procedures. For example. In an article from Politico, they report Biden “operates in a sanitizer-saturated bubble within the traditional presidential campaign bubble, an environment designed and obsessively cultivated by staff in an attempt to protect him from a possible encounter with the virus,” (Cadelgo, Korecki). Additionally, the articles go into highlighting how Biden does not break any COVID guidelines while forgetting to question Biden’s physical and mental fitness other than his age. By doing this, for me, it seems that the media is is giving Biden a free pass for his crazy racist gaffes simply because he is following COVID guidelines. Although my bias may seem to bleed through with this analysis, I find it offensive that the media in today’s world can be so forgiving to a man simply because it fits an agenda.
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Matthew BruinSeptember 15, 2020 at 2:13 AM
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Matthew BruinSeptember 15, 2020 at 2:15 AM
Matthew Bruin
PART THREE

At the end of the day, it is evidently clear that the traditional practice of stump campaigning remains an important part of the political process in today’s politics. For example, as talked about in this post, stump campaigning allows candidates to connect to voters in a more informal way, allows voters to see their candidates in action, while also getting glimpse at what candidates feel about when discussing certain major talking points. Regardless of Biden or Trump’s tactics or views on politics, stump campaigning is clearly an important part of the United States’ political process.

Work Cited:

Dawsey, Josh, et al. "Campaign of Contrasts: Trump's Raucous Crowds vs. Biden's Distanced Gatherings." The Washington Post, 9 Sept. 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/. Accessed 13 Sept. 2020.

Denton, Robert E., Judith S. Trent, and Robert V. Friedenberg. Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practice, 9th ed. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2020.

Cadelago, Christopher, and Natasha Korecki. “‘Keep Back!’: How the Biden Campaign Obsesses over Covid.” Politico, 9 Sept. 2020, www.politico.com/news/2020/09/14/joe-biden-bubble-coronavirus-412306.

Erdman, Shelby, and Paul LeBlanc. “Trump Is 'Clearly Flirting with Disaster' by Holding Rallies and Not Wearing a Mask, Health Expert Warns.” CNN, 2 July 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/07/02/politics/trump-coronavirus-campaign-rally-202-election-cnntv/index.html.

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UnknownSeptember 15, 2020 at 7:56 AM
Tim Powers
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a lot of chaos around the world and many are attempting readjust in, essentially, a new environment. This is no truer than in the world of presidential campaigning. However, the Biden campaign and the Trump campaign are taking drastically different approaches to the challenges of the pandemic. The Biden campaign is doing their best to follow each areas COVID-19 regulations, “the former vice president has appeared in public sparingly since the pandemic, and with the strictest adherence to state guidelines: 25 in Pennsylvania, 10 people indoors in Michigan and mandatory face-coverings all around. Mr. Biden’s approach reflects the reluctance of many of his supporters to attend large gatherings” (Miller, Jaffe). While the Biden campaign has taken all precautions when it comes to the pandemic, the Trump campaign has done the opposite. Trump is openly holding multiple events that exceed state regulations attendee limits, in addition many are not wearing face-coverings. According to the Associated Press, “North Carolina caps outdoor gatherings at 50 people to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, but don’t tell that to President Donald Trump. He basked in a largely maskless crowd of several thousand supporters during a campaign rally in this critical state.” (Miller, Jaffe). The Trump campaign has no regards for the current pandemic that is still taking hundreds to thousands of lives each day.

As always, many issues are at contention during election season. For the Trump campaign, one of the major issues at the table involves China. Trump is campaigning on a “made in USA” platform, that creates jobs for Americans instead of sending them overseas to China. According to Trump, Biden wants to send those jobs over to China (Mason). For the Biden campaign, one of the the major issues at the table is revolving around the Presidents economic failures. Biden is claiming that Trump has failed to keep his promises “to stem a tide of job losses and outsourcing.” In addition, Biden has presented a plan to penalize American companies for moving jobs overseas (Sullivan, Stein). Largely, the main issue at the table for both campaign revolves around the economy and how each candidate is going to help boost the economy from the woes of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Trump campaign has received a lot of media coverage regarding its events. Particularly because of how the events, as well as the attendees, ignore the recent COVID-19 regulations in each local area. Trump held a rally in Nevada on Sunday and it got a lot of coverage for being the first indoor rally in nearly three months (LeBlanc, Judd, Hoffman). While the Trump campaign has received a lot of negative coverage for how they have handled the events amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Biden campaign has received a lot of coverage for how they have followed regulations amid the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Politico, the Biden campaign “obsesses over Covid.” Transportation for the campaign is “meticulously sprayed with disinfectant and scrubbed.” In addition, Joe Biden “is seldom without a mask when in public or around anyone other than his wife, Jill Biden.” The article goes into great detail of what the Biden campaign is doing to protect themselves and their candidate from COVID-19. (Cadelago, Korecki).
Stump campaigning remains an important part of the political process because it gets the messages of each campaign out into the world. It creates media buzz for the issues because the candidate is speaking about it. These moments during the campaign are “normally occasioned by events or statements that the candidate feels warrant special attention. Ostensibly, the provide a means of making statements that will be passed on, through the media, to the public at large” (Denton, 200). In other words, these moments during the campaign can reach a larger audience that may not have heard it before; they bring in a larger audience that may not have been there before.
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UnknownSeptember 15, 2020 at 9:05 AM
Stump speeches are meant to be short, concise introductions into the candidate. They give an overview of who they are, what they are fighting for, and why they are running for office. Political consultant Ron Faucheux suggests that “the ‘Why I Am Running’ speech should ‘zero in’ on both your strengths and your opposition’s weaknesses. It should take full advantage of mirror opposites if they exist” (Political Campaign Communication, 165). In the current presidential campaign between Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Donald Trump, the candidates have stuck to their guns by running through the same talking points throughout all their appearances. But with the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down a lot of in-person events, stump speeches where candidates would go to several different locations had to change.

For Joe Biden, that meant following state guidelines by reducing crowd sizes (if there were any attendees), keeping a safe distance, and wearing a mask at all times. “Joe Biden, meanwhile, has barely left his home without a mask for months, and he makes a point of keeping voters — when he encounters any — at a distance from himself and one another. Events at drive-in theaters have been kept under 50 — people, not cars — to respect state guidelines” (New York Times). This fits well with his stump speech of listening to the science and protecting others from the deadly virus. Biden has been adamant on his disliking of Trump’s response to the outbreak, and Biden’s following of the guidelines shows he is committed to doing what needs to be done to stop the spread

Trump, on the other hand, doesn’t care about what other people tell him to do. He has stuck to his individualistic and patriotic defiance of COVID regulations, even going as far as to mock Biden for wearing a mask (CNN). This plays well with his supporters that call people who wear masks as being paranoid or easily manipulated. While places such as CNN will call this out as being false and going against the strong recommendations of many government agencies, Fox News and other conservative outlets don’t hold these comments to the same level of scrutiny.

Republican political host Tucker Carlson, who pulls millions of viewers to his show on Fox News consistently, has repeatedly defended the president’s anti-mask position, saying on his show, “It’s a scam; it’s an obvious scam.” This type of coverage has given Trump a lot of credibility with his claims, and has radicalized the Republican base against Democrats that are promoting the science of mask-wearing and socially distancing. In a Gallup poll, only 66% of Republicans reported that they wore a mask in the past week, compared to 98% of Democrats.

These stump speeches and “Why I Am Running” pitches are so essential because it shows you the heart of the candidate. Biden is pitching himself as caring and a follower of science. Trump is pitching himself as patriotic and independent from what others are telling him to do. This gives voters a way to relate to candidates and vote based off of what the candidate values.
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Harriet RiceSeptember 15, 2020 at 9:12 AM
Harriet Rice
Blog 3

An obvious difference between the two candidates campaign strategies is their behaviors and protocol regarding COVID19. Imagery is crucial in campaigning therefore, candidates must do and say “whatever will enhance voters perception of them” (Denton 54). In a time of a global pandemic taking extra precautions such as downsizing gatherings and enforced mask-wearing is beneficial. These actions display guidance and reinforcement. COVID- 19 is a very touchy subject for many, and it could be easy for Trump to lose voters due to his lack of caution as well as attacking Biden for wearing a mask.
President Donald Trump seems to follow his own guidelines when it comes to COVID-19. While Biden and his team prefer to follow the health official rules. For example, Biden held a meeting in a backyard that was socially distanced (Miller Jaffe). Meanwhile, Trump was spotted in a large “maskless crowd of several thousand supporters during a campaign rally (Miller Jaffe). These two different instances are a great demonstration of just how different these candidates are during their campaigning. While Biden chooses to follow health officials in contrast to Trump who has been typically going against (Miller Jaffe). Some may think that Joe is not interacting with his voters, however, one could say these smaller interactions allow more intimate conversations and time to really learn more about individuals and their conflicts. For example, Biden visited Kenosha, Wisconsin, and rather than gathering in a huge 200 person crowd he spent his time in a small quiet patio with teachers and parents addressing in-person learning (Miller Jaffe). Trump does not agree and has been attacking Biden regarding his mask-wearing as he said, “did you ever see a man who likes a mask as much as him” (Fritze Jackson). Trump prefers airport rallies because “he could just get off the plan, give a speech, and “get the hell out of here” (Fritze Jackson). This is a great example of the large crowds that are forming at these events. Trump seems to want to get out quickly, however, the individuals present may be exposing themselves to conditions that are not safe.

As the election approaches North Carolina remains a top priority for both candidates as a handful of the states could determine the election (Mason). Trump has increased his visits and has been attacking Harris. As he said “Nobody likes her. She could never be the first woman president,” “That would be an insult to our country” (Mason). As talked about in my last blog and discussed in class, women are Trump’s weak point, however, he continues to talk negatively about a woman especially the possibility of the first black woman and first Asian American on a major U.S presidential ticket (Mason). Referring to the importance of imagery during a campaign, these comments don’t seem to reflect Trump well in regard to gaining female votes.
Another example was the Oklahoma rally that Trump hosted. He ignored guidance from Oklahoma health officials, whom most attending were maskless. Hours before the rally officials confirmed that six Trump staff tested positive for COVID- 19. Trump also mentioned in his speech that testing needed to be slowed down (EyeWitness). For some this information seems ridiculous as many are looking for a cure not a slow-down of testing. After watching that clip from eyewitness news, I got a glimpse of just how other rallies must go. They included clips that show no one social distancing and limited masks. Looking at media of the Biden campaign I came across his “Ready to Lead Ad” (Biden). This ad particularly reinforces that Biden is taking COVID-19 extremely seriously after attacking Trump in the ad. Throughout the video, Biden is pictured with a mask in contract to Trump who is not (Biden). Overall it is apparent that the stress and discussion of COVID 19 are not going away, therefore both candidates must address it in ways that will positively impact their votes and campaign.

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AnonymousSeptember 15, 2020 at 10:02 AM
Nicholas Ciampanelli (1/2)
Since the ratification of the United States Constitution and the adoption of the present-day political system, stump campaigning is a consistent theme throughout the political process. Its permeation throughout history is largely attributed to its ability for candidates to control the narratives and messages conveyed to an array of political actors. According to Political Campaign Communication by Robert Denton, Robert Friedenberg, and Judith Trent, stump campaigning is directed at five key political actors: the general public (or voters), “the candidate’s rivals, their own staffs, political elites, and journalists” (201). Despite being a diverse group to appeal to, stump campaigning has become a “science” to provide relevant information to these respective audiences, such as soundbites for journalists and motivational calls to action for their staffers and voting base. Additionally, the political messages conveyed to these groups is often condensed upon a handful of prevalent talking points for each audience; in the article “Campaign of Constrasts: Trump’s Raucous Crowds vs. Biden’s Distanced Gatherings” by Josh Dawsey, Annie Linskey, and Michael Scherer, Jenn Rider, the Biden campaign’s State Director, states that these audiences “‘are worried about the economy, they are worried about sending their kids to school, and they are worried about covid.’” With this holistic concern for the ongoing pandemic, each candidate adopted different approaches to stump campaigning in the midst of it.
As the 2020 election approaches in these troubling times, each campaign adopted opposing strategies to address this important talking point. Most recently, President Donald Trump threw caution to the wind by hosting an indoor rally in Nevada – according to Annie Karni and Jennifer Madina in “Trump Defies Nevada Directive as Thousands Gather for Indoor Rally,” the President “ignored a state directive limiting indoor gatherings to under 50 people… [and] there were no signs of any attempts at social distancing inside the venue.” Additionally, while hosting another indoor rally in North Carolina, the President touted that the state “‘should be open… [along with] a couple others,’” according to “In a pandemic, how US presidential campaign strategies diverge” by Alexandra Jaffe and Zeke Miller. These behaviors indicate that Trump wishes to connect with the “‘anti-mask protestor vote’” in a display of independence and rebellion – due to this unorthodox stump campaigning in lieu of public health guidelines, a significant amount of media coverage captures and portrays these “radical” events to the aforementioned audiences (Dawsey et al, 2020). In comparison, Biden’s stump campaigning, which consists of hosting “quiet, small-bore events with everyone masked and spaced apart,” illustrates the need to adhere to public health officials and federal/state guidelines (Dawsey et al, 2020). For this reason, Biden receives less campaign coverage than the President, but this media attention often casts his campaign in an angelic light of compassion for the American people.
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Johnny MarquardtSeptember 15, 2020 at 11:14 AM
Pt.1
It seems Trump and Biden are taking two different looks on their stump campaigning. Trump’s goal even though can be a problem during the pandemic Is to have a packed house, with original intentions to fill stadiums for his Rally’s. According to Christian Monitor it states, “Outdoor events used to be few and far between for Mr. Trump, who prefers the deafening echo and air conditioning of indoor arenas. But in the wake of a June rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when the president addressed a half-empty arena and a promised five-figure overflow crowd never materialized, his campaign decided to move to lower-stakes airport hangars and tarmacs” (Jaffe, Miller). Even with Disease experts such as Dr. Anthony Fauci who disagree with this method and say Trump as president needs to “Set an example” (csmonitor.com) he still is using numbers as a tactic to beat Biden. On the other hand, Biden is doing his best to follow Covid guidelines with his rally’s. While this is a much smarter move in the eyes of the voters who care about the pandemic, Trump mocks him. In the article it states, “If he had 200 people, I think it would be a lot,” Mr. Trump said Tuesday of his opponent. “Have you ever seen the gyms with the circles? That is his crowd. If he had 200 people” (Jaffe, Miller). This is a smart move towards Biden because this tactic of campaigning, though has small numbers at the event itself, shows that he was more aware of the pandemic going around us as we speak compared to Trump, while currently still in office seems to pay less attention and more concerned of beating Biden with strength in numbers.
As the Covid election continues it seems both candidates are taking different approaches on talking points, but with one similarity in mind, and that is bashing each other. The future of America’s economy is a big point brought up in the campaign as well as foreign relations. Trump, bashes Biden claiming that if he were to become president, our Economy would be taken over by china, which can be compelling for Trump’s votes since many aren’t happy with China, due to the Covid outbreak originating from there. At the same time Biden is claiming that Trump did not create enough jobs for the Economy and promises to build the economy creating more manufacturing jobs. (Pearce). The pandemic is a big curveball in this election, and it makes itself aware in almost every talking point effecting the entire campaign race.
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Johnny MarquardtSeptember 15, 2020 at 11:16 AM
pt 2.
When characterizing the media, I’ve noticed that, mainly due to the works of Covid, its mentioned frequently that Biden is taking Covid rules much more seriously, compared to the President of the United states who has packed Rally’s, defying any sort of Social distancing. This is making Biden the good guy in many standards, mostly to the people who believe Covid is a serious pandemic. This puts Trump and his “I don’t give a crap” attitude more on the dark side of the media, with only supporters from those who might be “anti-maskers” and those who believe Covid might not even be a serious issue (Dawsey Scherer Linskey).
Stump campaigning is still important towards the election race because, watching your candidate speak live and not over a prerecorded ad or video shows the candidate’s live reaction towards the topics brought upon them. This also gives them a chance to gain publicity through the media. In the book it states, “Candidates attempt to use news conferences to their own advantage. One of the reasons they are used is to foster the illusion that the candidate is in control. C. Jack Orr has suggested that presidential news conferences can be thought of as “counterpoised situations” in which the reporters have competing obligations. They must confront the president, and they must give deference to him.53 To a lesser extent, the same counterpoised situation exists when reporters interview any office seeker” (Denton 203). During campaigning if the candidate can fulfill any unanswered questions through their speeches, or answering reporters to big media outlets, their words will be posted everywhere giving them mass publicity, and hopefully more voters.

“Chapter 8.” Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices, by Robert E. Denton et al., Rowman & Littlefield, 2020, p. 203.

Miller, Zeke, and Alexandra Jaffe. “In a Pandemic, How US Presidential Campaign Strategies Diverge.” The Christian Science Monitor, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Sept. 2020, www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2020/0909/In-a-pandemic-how-US-presidential-campaign-strategies-diverge.

Pearce, Matt. “President Trump and Joe Biden Offer Opposing Visions of Policing.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sept. 2020, www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-09-14/trump-biden-police-policy.

Scherer, Michael, et al. “Campaign of Contrasts: Trump's Raucous Crowds vs. Biden's Distanced Gatherings.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 9 Sept. 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/campaign-of-contrasts-trumps-raucous-crowds-vs-bidens-distanced-gatherings/2020/09/08/8633e69a-f1dc-11ea-b796-2dd09962649c_story.html.
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UnknownSeptember 15, 2020 at 11:20 AM
Matt Gallo

Historically speaking, stump campaigning is a very vital tool for the candidates during their campaign. Stump campaigning is a speech given by the candidate when they have to make multiple appearances and is repeated verbatim to give respectable look for each party. With the world being in the middle of a pandemic, the people are going to want to hear the candidate’s plans are for the near future and how to move past COVID-19. With states having different guidelines regarding the pandemic, Biden and Trump have been limited to where they can hold events. In the article, In a Pandemic, How US Presidential Campaign Strategies Diverge, when speaking about the candidates plan the authors mention, “The candidates are effectively staking out different visions for the country. Mr. Biden emphasizes guidelines supported by local health officials while Mr. Trump rails against restrictions that he argues, without evidence, are politically motivated” (Miller & Jaffe). Their very diverse views towards this are geared towards their voters; it is very unclear which way the swing states will vote.
The major talking points of the two campaigns have been regarding the economy. Given the fact that everything shut down in March, finically we are not in the most ideal spot. In addition to the economy, major talking points are social issues mainly focusing on the Black Lives Matter movement along with healthcare. A representative from Michigan, Andy Levin, stated when regarding Trump’s hold on the state he said, “’A lot of people in Macomb County voted for him for economic reasons. And now they are going to vote against him for those very same reasons because he has not delivered’”(Stein & Sullivan). This representative brings up a very valid point here; the majority of the country that voted for Trump was a large part to do with his potential value to the economy. To be fair, he was doing very well from an economic standpoint until the pandemic, but we shall see how far his past success gets him. Another excerpt from the article Biden and Trump Battle in the Rust Belt, Each Glossing Over His Own Record, said, “Biden called Trump’s trade policy ‘reckless and chaotic’ and accused him of thrusting the country into a recession” (Stein & Sullivan). Biden and his party main talking points the last few months has been bashing Trump on everything he does. The Republican party also slanders Biden, do not get that confused it is all part of a big game, however I believe the Democrats platform relies too heavy on being “Anti-Trump”.

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Christyna StaggSeptember 15, 2020 at 11:37 AM
Christyna Stagg (1/2)
Compared to the democratic campaigning, the republic campaign has been holding big crowds like usual. Trump’s rally was recently packed with supporters wearing no masks, having their temperature not being taken (Dawsey). Even though masks are required in New Hampshire where this rally took place, Trump urged his supporters at the rally to not wear them (Dawsey). By Trump bringing together a large crowd at an event at this time, Trump is making an image for himself of the country to be returning back to normal (Fritze/ Jackson). Biden on the other hand has made it clear that he wants to keep on distancing himself from his voters, wearing masks and making sure at his small rallies his supporters do not get affected. Biden has held events at drive-in theaters with under fifty people to respect state guidelines (Dawsey). This is the opposite of what Trump is doing with his campaigning.

At one of Trump’s rallies in Washington, Trump mocked Biden for wearing a mask at his own rally in Pennsylvania (Fritze/ Jackson). Even though at Trump’s rally he was being asked questions about his own health, he dismissed those questions and went on for most of the rally to discuss and mock Biden for frequently wearing a mask in public (Fritze/ Jackson). Biden went on at his own rally to mocking Trump for talking about his health (Fritze/ Jackson). Jonathan Reiner, a spokesman for Biden and a professor of medicine and surgery at George Washington University states that Trump’s frequent refusal to wear a mask has nothing to do with health and everything to do with “vanity” (Fritze/ Jackson). He also further stated that Trump does not wear a mask because it makes him look weak and our president’s narcissism collided with the country’s needs, letting narcissism win (Fritze/ Jackson). Trump and Biden are also aggressively seeking to exploit weaknesses in each other’s plan of treatment of American workers, discussing the economic decline (Sullivan/ Stein). Trump and Biden have both discussed in their campaigns how they going to handle American workers in the Rust Belt and how they plan to treat them with the declining economy (Sullivan/ Stein).

The media has characterized Biden’s campaign as a less-is-more campaign (Scherer). Biden has used a strategy of caution and discipline, and he has also limited his travel and put off hold on new conferences for eighty-eight days (Scherer). Biden has stated his thoughts out into the public stating that “The more that Donald Trump is out the worse he does. I think it is wonderful that he goes out” (Scherer). Biden is stating this because Biden views that the more than Trump goes out, the more he is ruining his image. The media has characterized Trump’s campaign as being “too familiar” with his chants, his red hats, his anecdotes, his fond recounting of his own election victory and his falsehoods (Qiu). Trump in his campaign events has been discussing topics about the democratic campaign that the media views as false. One of these falsehoods is Trump claiming that he has direct evidence of the democratic strategy (Qiu). Trump stated that he cited legislation of a bill that every Democratic senator supports called the “The Open Borders Bill”. The media states that this bill never existed (Qiu). Another falsehood is that Trump says he wants to protect Medicare, when Democrats want to raid Medicare to pay their socialism (Qiu). The media has further on stated that this is false because this health care program for older Americans has worsened Trump’s watch because of his tax law (Qiu).

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Christyna StaggSeptember 15, 2020 at 11:38 AM
Christyna Stagg (2/2)
A stump speech can be defined as a speech a politician makes again and again as they travel to different places during a campaign (Stump Speech). Stump campaigning is a way for candidates speak to voters in person and generate media attention for candidates. During this dead period between conventions and presidential debates, stump campaigning is a way for candidates to still make an image of themselves and further convince undecided voters who to vote for. Image has always played a huge role in presidential elections or in any election in general. All candidates must do and say whatever it is that will enhance voter perception of them. They are concerned about their own image (Denton). Since this election between Biden and Trump is extremely controversial, stump campaigning still plays an extremely important part of the political process to appeal to certain audiences and sway votes to either Biden or Trump. Stump campaigning is still a crucial element of this presidential election.

Work Cited

-Scherer, Michael. Joe Biden Rises with a Less-Is-More Campaign. 30 June 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/joe-biden-rises-with-a-less-is-more-campaign/2020/06/29/31413f5a-ba16-11ea-80b9-40ece9a701dc_story.html.

-Qiu, Linda. “A Guide to Trump's Stump Speeches for the Midterm Campaigns.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 12 Oct. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/10/12/us/politics/fact-check-trump-rallies-midterm-campaigns.html.

-“Stump Speech.” Political Dictionary, 12 Mar. 2020, politicaldictionary.com/words/stump-speech/.

-Fritze, John and David Jackson. "Trump Mocks Biden for Mask-Wearing, Dismisses Health Questions in Pennsylvania Rally," USA Today 3 Sept. 2020.

-Dawsey, Josh, Michael Scherer, and Annie Linskey. "Campaign of Contrasts: Trump’s Raucous Crowds vs. Biden’s Distanced Gatherings," Washington Post 9 Sept. 2020.

-Denton, Robert E., et al. Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices. Rowman & Littlefield, 2020.

-Sullivan, Sean and Jeff Stein. "Biden and Trump Battle in the Rust Belt, Each Glossing Over His Own Record," Washington Post 9 Sept. 2020.
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Camryn NewcombSeptember 15, 2020 at 11:41 AM
Newcomb Blog 3

Stump campaigning has previously allowed presidential candidates to come together in support of one campaign. Back in 2016, Hillary Clinton held huge events, and she had people such as Barack Obama and her husband, Bill Clinton, stump for her. Trump was known to hold huge events in arenas in order to get people excited and to get his message out. Typically, he does not use a surrogate speaker, because he has the ability to attack his competitors on his own, a strategy that he used in 2016 and was predicted to use in 2020 (Denton 84).

Stump campaigning is important to the political process because candidates address their platforms, swing undecided voters, and unite a party. As someone who has been to a rally for a 2016 presidential campaign, it’s a motivating and inspiring environment. Especially this year, stump campaigns are important due to the imposing issues our country is facing such as: eradicating COVID 19, fixing the economic recession due to COVID 19, and the Black Lives Matter movement. Moreover, both candidates this year have been challenging the competency of each other.

During the global pandemic that is currently occurring, stump campaigns look a little different than usual. The Republican party wants to reopen the country; therefore, Donald Trump is holding larger events than Joe Biden who is sticking to smaller gatherings as Democrats do not want to open up the country just yet. Trump has been holding rallies both in indoor arenas and outside at airport hangers and tarmacs. His outdoor rallies do not have a people count, as he says that COVID-19 is politically motivated, and “aids and allies suggest the president sees his rallies as a manifestation of the reopening he’s preaching and that he believes is vital to the economic recovery and what voters want” (Miller & Jaffe). Joe Biden has strictly followed COVID regulations, specifically crowd limits. Staffers have left the room if there was any sort of restriction possibly about to be broken. While this is because of the virus risk, the intimate events “allow Mr. Biden to have more personal interactions with representatives from important voting blocs” (Miller & Jaffe).

The country has become more and more polarized over the last few elections, so it is no surprise that the media coverage on the events is bias from both conservative and liberal media outlets. To start, CNN, a known liberal source, published an article by Chris Cillizza entitled “How Donald Trump’s indoor campaign rally reveals how little he understands about being president.” Additionally, Fox News, a known conservative source, published an article by Joseph A. Wulfsohn entitled “Trump campaign urged TV networks to cover Biden events: ‘expose his rambling displays of incoherence’.” It is without a doubt that a controversial election such as this will have non-bias media coverage, especially as the candidates continue to campaign during the pandemic.
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Camryn NewcombSeptember 15, 2020 at 11:41 AM
Denton, Robert E., Judith S. Trent, and Robert V. Friedenberg. Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practice, 9th ed. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2020
Miller, Zeke, and Alexandra Jaffe. In a Pandemic, How US Presidential Campaign Strategies Diverge. 9 Sept. 2020, www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2020/0909/In-a-pandemic-how-US-presidential-campaign-strategies-diverge.
Cillizza, Chris. Analysis: How Donald Trump's Indoor Campaign Rally Reveals How Little He Understands about Being President. 14 Sept. 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/09/14/politics/donald-trump-nevada-rally-2020/index.html.
Wulfsohn, Joseph A. Trump Campaign Urges TV Networks to Cover Biden Events: Expose His 'Rambling Displays of Incoherence'. 11 June 2020, www.foxnews.com/media/trump-campaign-tv-networks-cover-biden-events.
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Summer PerrattiSeptember 15, 2020 at 11:53 AM
Summer Part 1
As interesting as it must have been witnessing presidential candidates preaching their policies from an old tree stump, the 2020 election will still provide us with never-before-seen means of stump campaigning. For this election cycle, we must look at the campaign strategies of Joe Biden and Donald Trump through the lens of the global pandemic, and how COVID-19 has impacted their political communication. While the traditional form of stump campaigning describes in-person gatherings, campaign events, and news conferences, we have witnessed a new definition emerge as both candidates attempt to campaign through COVID-19 guidelines and precautions. We can begin at comparing and contrasting Biden and Trump’s stump campaigning methods: While President Trump has made nearly every attempt at gathering large crowds despite strong recommendations to socially distance and reduce public gatherings, former Vice President Biden has utilized the COVID-19 pandemic to his advantage, allowing him to appear “safer” to concerned citizens. The Washington Post article titled “Campaign of Contrasts: Trump’s Raucous Crowds vs. Biden’s Distanced Gatherings” depicted their differing methods perfectly: “…one campaign [is] fueled by in-person events, raucous gatherings and defiant crowds flouting health rules; the other driven by quiet, small-bore events with everyone masked and spaced apart” (Dawsey et al). Trump’s apparent distain toward social distancing measures and his general response to COVID-19 has transformed into a major talking point for Biden’s campaign. One article featured in The Guardian titled “Biden aims to make election about Covid-19 as Trump steers focus elsewhere” provides a pure example of Biden using Trump’s COVID-19 response as a campaign talking point: “The Biden campaign held press conferences and conference calls, rolled out ads and issued statements. But through it all Biden’s team also made sure to keep emphasizing its fundamental argument: The Trump administration has bungled handling the pandemic and deserves to be thrown out” (Strauss). On the opposing side, President Trump has utilized Biden’s lack of public appearances since the emergence of COVID-19 to stir up suspicions regarding his well-being. In a campaign ad, Trump suggests that Biden is “hiding” in his basement in his home state of Delaware, including manipulated photos of Biden in the ad (Kessler). This Washington Post article emphasizes that President Trump is “frustrated,” as he “can’t hold the big rallies he loves.” Since Biden has not had many public appearances, author Glenn Kessler suggests that the Trump campaign is running out of political attacks to aim toward his opponent, leaving his team with the only option to manipulate photos.
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Sam MesbahSeptember 15, 2020 at 11:58 AM
Samantha Mesbah
Blog #3:

One of the most effective ways for a presidential candidate to resonate with voters is by in-person appearances. The idea of many direct interactions with voters around the country can be described as stump campaigning. As described in Political Campaign Communication, "The stump speech is the one used by candidates most of the time. A few themes may vary with attention to context and audiences. However, the key issues and selling points largely remain the same." (Denton 164) This gives the candidate the ability to address those in a specific region and relate to that particular group of people. This campaigning strategy is more difficult to execute due to the current health restrictions across the nation.
The main difference in regards to stump campaigning from both nominees is their approach to following COVID-19 guidelines. In an article from USA Today, "Did you ever see a man who likes a mask as much as him?" Trump asked a crowd that, based on images
posted to social media, appeared to largely mask free. "It gives him a feeling of security." (Fritze and Jackson) Both Biden and Trump have different views on the current pandemic and how it should be handled. While Biden's campaign is taking more precautions, the Trump campaign criticizes the acts of the democratic party. An article from CNN quotes democratic VP nominee Kamala Harris, saying, "And here's what you have to understand about the nature of a pandemic: It's relentless. You can't stop it with a tweet. You can't create a distraction and hope it'll go away. It doesn't go away," (Merica, Lee, Brander, Diaz) While Biden is still visiting swing states and addressing different groups of people across the nation, he is doing so on a smaller scale, with social distancing matters in place. The Trump campaign does not prioritize social distancing at these rallies, as this issue is not a priority for him or his team.
An article from the Christian Science Monitor exclaims, "With less than eight weeks until the Nov. 3 election, Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden are taking diametrically opposite
approaches to campaigning during a pandemic – and the differences amount to more than political theater. The candidates are effectively staking out different visions for the country." (Miller and Jaffe) One region where the candidates are focusing on is the "rust belt states", as these states tipped to Trump in the 2016 election and Biden hopes to win them back. This is an area of the country where we see both nominees making a presence, appealing to the manufacturing industry and the working class. An article in USA Today states, "For decades, Republican and Democratic presidential candidates have fought for blue-collar votes in and around the Scranton area, a politically important region in a state with 20 electoral votes." (Jackson and Collins) This is a region of the country where we have been seeing stump campaigning taking place, as both candidates are trying to appeal to this specific group of people to win over votes.
Ultimately, this year's election remains different than those in the past. The current pandemic remains a main controversial issue with all elements of the election cycle, including stump campaigning. Different media outlets have also voiced their opinions on whether they agree with the tactics a certain party is using to gain the most votes. Trump's lack of caution surrounding COVID19 can ultimately sway voters against him in this election cycle.

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Ja’Vielle FoySeptember 15, 2020 at 12:10 PM
Foy 1/2
Given the COVID-19 pandemic, the carrying out of these campaigns has been unlike any other. Some candidates are choosing to prioritize the health and safety of their voters, while others have been essentially encouraging them to put their livelihood at risk. The democratic party, and their candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden, have been the ones to be the most conscious and responsible during their entire itinerary of campaigning. In an article by Josh Dawsey, Michael Scherer, and Annie Linskey it is said that the Biden campaign has been so mindful of social distancing laws that the gatherings have been extremely small, “Events at drive-in theaters have been kept under 50 — people, not cars — to respect state guidelines” (Dawsey et al.). Vice President Biden has also been actively wearing and promoting the precautions health officials have been setting for the American people and has maintained that level of caution throughout by staging virtual events. Contrastingly, however, the Republican party and their candidate, President Donald Trump has thrown caution into the wind by not only holding large in-person events but also creating an environment where mask-wearing is optional, including for the president, who also made fun of former VP Biden for wearing his on the trail, "It gives him a feeling of security," the President said. "If I was a psychiatrist, I'd say this guy has some big issues" (LeBlanc).
Some of the top talking points on the trail have been social issues such as defunding the police and the Black Lives Matter movement. However, neither candidates have intentions of taking away the funding of police departments but rather Joe Biden, would like to reallocate the funds for community services, “ Biden supports the urgent need for reform, including funding for public schools, summer programs, and mental health and substance abuse treatment separate from funding for policing, so that officers can focus on the job of policing” (Hunnicutt). President Trump, however, is strongly against the defunding of police departments and believes that excessive force ( the reason many Americans are calling for defunding) is warranted, “…Trump laid out his philosophy on police violence as a necessary ingredient of enforcing control, reportedly telling them, “If you don’t dominate, you’re wasting your time. ... The harder you are, the tougher you are, the less likely it is that you’re going to be hit” (Pearce).
The media coverage of the candidate’s campaign events have been less focused on the content the candidate is speaking about and more so about the precautions the candidate is taking is regarded to coronavirus. For example, Biden’s extremely cautious campaigning in comparison to Trump’s mask optional, no distancing approach. However, despite the irresponsibility of the republican party’s candidate, stump campaigning remains an important part of the political process. Stumping is one of the last chances a candidate gets to show voters imagery of leadership, as the Political Campaign communication text states, “People have some preconceived ideas regarding what a candidate’s personal characteristics and behavior should be, and these ideas are continually measured against the reality of what an actual candidate says and does during the campaign” (Denton et al.). Stumping gives each candidate a place to cultivate their image, clearly outline their plans, policy reformations, and policy introductions they will make in their presidency, and really show voters why they are the best for the job.
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JavaSeptember 15, 2020 at 12:13 PM
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UnknownSeptember 15, 2020 at 12:36 PM
Hunter Stern
This election has provided us two of the most unique stump strategy tactics by a major party candidate in recent history. This is the case for a multitude of factors but the biggest factor that plays a part in this election being so different would have to be the coronavirus pandemic. Not only are the candidates completely unique in their own right but because of this pandemic, this election cycle has to be one of the weirdest in history and that is saying something especially following up 2015/2016’s cycle. Because of the pandemic, President Trump has not been able to hold his rallies like he loves to so his stump strategy had to take a new course. He stubbornly accepted this fate as his Tulsa Oklahoma rally was probably the low point of this election for him because of his mishandling of the pandemic. The disaster that was the Tulsa rally really embarrassed Trump as not only was he caught over and overlying about the crowd size but it just made his handling of the pandemic look worse. “More Oklahomans than he expected stayed home. They were the conformists, it seemed, siding against the president in deciding for themselves that the pandemic is not yet over.”(Berman) Trump’s rallies were an integral part of his 2016 election as is really made the energy behind his campaign so palpable. Biden on the other hand is arguably benefitting from the pandemic or at least his campaign is. One of Joe Biden’s biggest weaknesses is his oratory problems as he has become a gaffes machine in this stage of his career almost producing more gaffes per speech than George W Bush. Because Biden is so prone to gaffes and his weakness is his public speaking, he has benefitted a lot from campaigning out of his basement where he can practice and read speeches without it becoming a meme online. “President Trump has already questioned Biden's fitness for the job by implying that his gaffes demonstrate his intellectual incapacity to lead the country.” (Frantzich)
Biden has been delivering speeches and doing interviews out of his basement which is the safest and best move for him because not only does he save himself from any potential embarrassment but it also opposes trump’s handling and message towards the pandemic. While Biden is busy hitting softballs out of the comfort of his basement his campaign has been sending around Vice Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris. Just as he is playing it safe but on the offensive by opposing Trump on the Pandemic from his basement, his campaign is also looking to safely secure the black vote without scaring off white suburban women that some blame for losing Hillary the election. “Biden is seeking to energize African American voters by embracing the Black Lives Matter movement, while simultaneously reassuring White swing voters that he is not a radical
Activist.” (Janes)
“Usually, local stump speeches follow a general outline.”(Denton) Trump’s stump speech is unusual as it does not follow a format and an outline like most politicians he just seems to say whatever is on his mind which recently is less attacking Fauci and now attacking liberal mayors and BLM protesters.
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Hannah TeboSeptember 15, 2020 at 12:36 PM
Hannah Tebo
Stump campaigning has been a big part of past elections and now has a different meaning in this pandemic. A stump speech is a speech a politician running for office makes at each stop on a campaign trail. It’s usually a speech that covers what the candidate values, his or her overarching plans and specific campaign promises and talking points. The point of this speech is to connect the candidates and voters. During the pandemic, each presidential candidate has adjusted this stump campaigning in different ways. According to Dawsey, Scherer and Linskey of the Washington Post, Biden and Trump have been approaching their campaign amid the pandemic in different ways to appeal to different voting blocs. They write, “These are more than just competing messages for a country riven by a pandemic less than two months before an election. The two sides don’t even agree on what constitutes campaigning. And Republicans and Democrats each say their opponents are making a fatal error — with the Trump campaign attempting to cast life as largely normal, while Biden and his campaign largely stay at home”(Dawsey). This has been obvious in how each candidate has organized campaigning events. Trump on one hand has continued to hold in person rallies, many of which he and his supporters aren’t wearing masks while Biden on the other hand has been holding virtual rallies and adhering to strict social distancing and gathering policies enacted by states he has travelled to. In addition to this, Biden’s team has conducted virtually no in-person campaigning and has yet to open a stand-alone office in any swing state while Trump has ignored recommendations by the local state officials and opened more than 280 offices and held in person events around the country (Dawsey).
Incumbency has long been a campaigning strategy used in re-election and has been used since George Washington ran for re-election in 1792 (Denton). In the Trump campaign, he has focused on what he has done for the country in his first term as president and attacking Democratic views and standpoints (Greenberg). His largest talking points have been related to the economy, unemployment, immigration and military power (Greenberg). On the other hand, Biden has focused his campaign and speeches on the impact of COVID on the working class, economic crisis the country is facing because of the pandemic and has a specific focus on minority communities and the impact of COVID on them. He has also discussed the Black Lives Matter Movement in his speeches and both parties have taken a different stance on policing in America in their campaigning.
Media coverage of both campaigns has been fairly different based on the media outlet reporting. Many media outlets have taken clear sides and shown which candidate they favor in their headlines and coverage of each candidate.
Overall, I think stump campaigning is important to a presidency as it gives voters an opportunity to connect with each candidate and hear what they have to say before deciding on who they are voting for in November.

Denton, Robert E., et al. Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices. Rowman & Littlefield, 2020.
Glueck, Katie. “Joe Biden: Who He Is and What He Stands For.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 10 Sept. 2019, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/elections/joe-biden.html.
Greenberg, Jon. “PolitiFact - The Stump Speech Analyzer: Donald Trump.” @Politifact, www.politifact.com/article/2020/jan/29/stump-speech-analyzer-donald-trump/.
Josh Dawsey, Michael Scherer. “Campaign of Contrasts: Trump's Raucous Crowds vs. Biden's Distanced Gatherings.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 9 Sept. 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/campaign-of-contrasts-trumps-raucous-crowds-vs-bidens-distanced-gatherings/2020/09/08/8633e69a-f1dc-11ea-b796-2dd09962649c_story.html.

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Ryan MillerSeptember 15, 2020 at 11:05 PM
Ryan Miller pt 1

While stump campaigning will look different this year, seeing Joe Biden outside of his basement and Donald Trump away from the White House will be so refreshing. For months of quarantine, the two opponents stuck to their guns (for the most part) and led campaign efforts out of their homes. While this was considered an effective strategy in different ways for both of them, Biden with minding the pandemic and doing his part to keep his team safe and Trump taking advantage of his backdrops such as the Rose Garden, it is now crunch time, and they must begin to travel the country.

One of the main reasons that stump campaigning remains an integral part of the race is that, despite how things may feel when campaigns are drawn out and receive 24/7 coverage, a lot of voters are still undecided this late in the game. That is another reason why, as reported by Zeke Miller and Alexandra Jaffe on csmonitor.com, the Biden team has focused on suburbs of battleground states Pennsylvania and Michigan. According to the article, “the presence of Mr. Biden’s motorcade on a small street drew more than 200 people out onto their porches or the street” near Milwaukee and that Biden greeted small groups of individuals both there and outside of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Biden has had an interesting approach to his recent public appearances since. On September 11th, Biden and Mike Pence “bumped elbows” as shown on CNBC’s coverage of the memorial event in a sign of unity. During the same event, Biden stated that he would “not be making any news today. I’m not gonna talk about anything other than 9/11,” and that his campaigning would continue the following day.

However, later that day Biden traveled to Shanksville, Pennsylvania to meet with families of 9/11 victims. Notably, Biden passed out Bud Light beer. According to the Fox News coverage of the event, Biden was keeping a promise he had made the previous time he passed through the area. While I am glad that Biden was able to do something nice for people on what he calls such as solemn day, I am sure that he and his campaign had to know that handing out beers to firefighters would make headlines.

This ties into the core importance of stump campaigning: get personable. As pointed out in Political Campaign Communication, Robert Lehrman, an experienced speechwriter, says that stump speeches are strongest when they are, “persuasive, likable, upbeat, and understandable” specifically with the “average folks.” The beer example with Biden is a great example of personifying these values.
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Ryan MillerSeptember 15, 2020 at 11:06 PM
Ryan Miller pt 2

On the other hand, Trump has mostly stuck to his usual playbook throughout the transition back to a more regular campaign. He did however make news in recent days when it was announced that Henderson, Nevada, host of a recent Trump rally, was being fined $3,000 for violating COVID-19 guidelines.

Somewhat interestingly, Trump’s speeches and rhetoric often check off the boxes one by one of Lehrman’s ideal stump speech. For example, jokes are often part of Trump’s speeches and that is a suggested opener in candidates’ introductions. Record of accomplishment and solutions, part of the suggested body of the speech, include Trump staples such as boasting about the economy and trade or suggesting that “building the wall” would solve many of the country’s issues. Lastly, in the conclusion, the call to action element stood out to me, as Trump often enjoys riling up supporters. An example of this could be his speech at Mount Rushmore when he urged supporters to fight and defend statues and monuments that had been coming under fire for their glorification of questionable figures citing the “historical value” in them.

Even though we are just beginning the stump campaign season, it has already been off to a raucous start, and I am sure it will only get more heated as we move towards November.

Sources:
Barone, Vincent. “Nevada venue fined $3K for hosting 5,600-person indoor Trump rally.” New York Post, 15 Sept. 2020. https://nypost.com/2020/09/15/nevada-venue-fined-3000-for-hosting-indoor-trump-rally/. Accessed 15 Sept. 2020.
Denton Jr., Robert E., et al. "Political Campaign Communications in the 2016 Presidential election." Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices, 9th ed., Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Mangan, Dan and Breuninger, Kevin. “Joe Biden and Mike Pence meet and elbow bump at 9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero in New York City.” CNBC, 11 Sept. 2020. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/11/joe-biden-and-pence-meet-at-9/11-memorial-practice-coronavirus-safety.html. Accessed 15 Sept. 2020.
Miller, Zeke, and Jaffe, Alexandra. "In a pandemic, how US presidential campaign strategies diverge." The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Sept. 2020, www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2020/0909/In-a-pandemic-how-US-presidential-campaign-strategies-diverge. Accessed 15 Sept. 2020.
Steinhauser, Paul. “Biden delivers beer to Shanksville firefighters: ‘I keep my promises.’” Fox News, 11, Sept. 2020. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-delivers-beer-to-shanksville-firefighters-i-keep-my-promises. Accessed 15 Sept. 2020.
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AnonymousSeptember 20, 2022 at 1:48 AM
Charlie Windels Part 1

Stump campaigning has changed drastically throughout history and the past few years are no exception. Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2020 election, there have been massive changes in campaign strategy as covid has forced candidates to take a hybrid approach with in-person and digital messages. An article I was reading titled In a pandemic, how US presidential campaign strategies diverge, talked about some of the extreme differences in campaigning strategies between Biden and Trump. The article quotes “Donald Trump's campaign disregarding crowd-size guidelines, and Joe Biden's strictly following them, the presidential candidates' approaches to campaigning show different visions for handling the coronavirus and winning over voters” (Miller, Jaffe). Overall I think it is interesting to see how candidates are adapting or not adapting to change, and how they are dealing with and addressing certain issues. Stump campaigns are critically important for shaping a candidate's character as well as image.

In addition to this, the media has played an even larger role than ever before. Candidates have to watch their every move and make sure they are making the right decisions in such unprecedented times. One thing I noticed, in particular, is how critical the media was in the 2020 elections. Ultimately the media has so much power in the campaign process and acts as the “third leg” to the stool. After reading an article titled Trump campaign rallies led to more than 30,000 coronavirus cases, Stanford researchers say, It was apparent to me how quickly the media finds information and presents it to the public. The article quotes “Trump has often been criticized for holding in-person rallies, sometimes with tens of thousands of people, during a pandemic. He has sought to downplay the virus, often tying the increase in Covid-19 cases to more testing” (Lovelace Jr.). Overall I think media coverage like this that reaches the public has a large impact on the outcome of elections, especially when touching on hot topics at the time such as the pandemic.
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AnonymousSeptember 20, 2022 at 1:48 AM
Charlie Windels Part 2
Another thing I noticed when reading articles on the Trump vs Biden campaign was some of the extreme biases and word choices the media uses. Whether it be in favor of Trump or Biden, the media most of the time can affect the way the public view a candidate by the way they present their information. In an article, I was reading titled The January 6 insurrection: Minute-by-minute by Marshall Cohen he talks about some of the ways Trump sparked the violence during Jan 6th and how his acts ultimately led to the storming of the capitol. The article quotes, “Washington (CNN)One and a half years later, the minute-by-minute horrors of the January 6 insurrection, and then-President Donald Trump's role in fomenting the violence, are still coming into focus, thanks in large part to recent public hearings from the House committee investigating the attack” (Cohen). This quote displays some of the word choices as well as implemented biases the media can have whether right or wrong. In the long run, I think this greatly affects a candidate's image as well as a brand during the campaign as well as after the elections are over.

Overall, after completing the reading for this week in chapter 6 of Denton’s text, a particular quote stood out to me. It explained “Journalism starts with facts and allows people to reach their conclusion. Propaganda starts with a conclusion and manipulates people into accepting it as fact. You can decide for yourself whether what we have today is journalism or propaganda.”98 And when it comes to social media and politics, well, the Constitution may guarantee free- dom of speech but the major online gathering space for political expression certainly does not support that concept” (Denton). I think this is an interesting and thought-provoking quote. Not only does it force us to think about the media and their approach to addressing politics and campaigns in the current moment, but it also raises questions for the future. Does the media have too much of an influence when creating our political views? Should the Media present us with more raw info on political issues/figures?

BerkeleyJr. “Trump Campaign Rallies Led to More than 30,000 Coronavirus Cases, Stanford Researchers Say.” CNBC, CNBC, 2 Nov. 2020, https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/31/coronavirus-trump-campaign-rallies-led-to-30000-cases-stanford-researchers-say.html.
Cohen, Marshall, and Avery Lotz. “The January 6 Insurrection: Minute-by-Minute.” CNN, Cable News Network, 29 July 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/10/politics/jan-6-us-capitol-riot-timeline/index.html.
Jaffe, Zeke Miller and Alexandra. "In a pandemic, how US presidential campaign strategies diverge ." 9 September 2020. https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2020/0909/In-a-pandemic-how-US-presidential-campaign-strategies-diverge. website. 7 September 2020.
Denton, Robert E., et al. Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices. Rowman & Littlefield, 2020.
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Political Communication 2020 Campaign Analysis Blog

Wednesday, September 9, 2020

Stump Campaigning – Tuesday, September 15th (Blog #3)

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