Keller: Impact of Democrats' "weird" offensive in presidential race
The opinions expressed below are Jon Keller's, not those of WBZ, CBS News or Paramount Global.
BOSTON - There are plenty of harsh words being traded by the candidates for president. Former President Donald Trump calling Vice President Kamala Harris "evil"; Harris calling Trump and running mate Sen. J.D. Vance "extreme" and "dangerous.
But one not-so-harsh adjective has emerged as an early and effective weapon for the Democrats.
The Democrats' "weird" attack
Colorado's Democratic Gov. Jared Polis calls the GOP nominee an "existential threat to democracy, convicted felon, weird."
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer: "Every day it comes out Vance has done something more extreme, more weird."
And Harris herself says "some of what [Trump] and his running mate have been saying, well, it's just plain weird."
"Language can really set the tone, set the agenda, and that's the whole game," says political communication expert Tobe Berkovitz, Boston University associate professor of advertising emeritus. He recalls how the Republicans pounced on the weird Mike Dukakis tank ride photo op during the 1988 campaign and made hay in 2004 off John Kerry's passion for the niche sport of windsurfing.
So, whether it's Vance dissing pet owners and people without kids or Trump riffing on his love of Hannibal Lecter, the Democrats see rank opportunity.
"The last thing any politician wants is to be teased and mocked and knocked off their august pedestal, and to a large degree this 'weird' attack has started to do that," said Berkovitz.
Gauging the impact
How can we gauge the impact of the "weird" offensive on the race?
Usually, candidates who insult their opponents take a hit in their approval ratings for doing so, but Harris's numbers have been improving while Trump and Vance are struggling. And check out social media, where the "weird Republicans" theme has given birth to a bunch of memes and may be connecting with voters who are normally turned off by the usual partisan finger pointing.
You know the classic political question - which candidate would you rather have a beer with? Some of us might prefer the "weirder" candidate, but we're guessing most would not.