Bob Schieffer: A race of negatives
So what to make of the convention just past, and the campaign just ahead? We've asked our friend and chief Washington correspondent emeritus Bob Schieffer to weigh in:
The main thing we found out about Donald Trump at the Cleveland Convention is that he'll be running in the fall campaign as Donald Trump.
As we learned from his acceptance speech, he won't be softening the edges, won't be cleaning up his act, won't be changing his style.
"We cannot afford to be so politically correct any more!"
The emerging Trump strategy seems focused on one thing, and one thing alone: raising Hillary Clinton's negatives.
"Death, destruction, terrorism and weakness!"
If he can convince people that she is worse than he is, then he wins. And it might work.
- Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton viewed unfavorably by majority: CBS/NYT poll
- Fact check: The GOP rush to blame Clinton
This may be why Trump has rejected the conventional wisdom that American elections are won by the most optimistic, uplifting candidates. Instead, he painted a dark view of American life; said Americans are living through one international humiliation after another; and blamed most of it on Hillary Clinton.
"America is far less safe, and the world is far less safe."
He said he alone could fix it, but gave few details on how.
- Donald Trump offers dark vision of America in GOP convention speech
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- Obama: Trump's remarks on violence, immigration don't jibe with facts
- Commentary: Donald Trump's big speech works out
- Celebrities react to Donald Trump's RNC speech
- Delegate talks 2016 GOP convention and indecision over Trump
He presided over a convention notable more for who didn't show up than who did, and just Friday got in a post-convention row with primary rival Ted Cruz, telling him he not only didn't want his endorsement, but threatened to raise money to defeat him if he ran for re-election to the Senate.
- Ted Cruz defends his non-endorsement of Donald Trump
- The Boo in the Q
- Donald Trump defends linking Ted Cruz's father to Lee Harvey Oswald
When Democrats gather in Philadelphia later this week, we'll get a better fix on what approach Hillary Clinton will take. Already some are urging her to take the same approach as Trump: Make it about him, not her. However that comes out, it won't be a pretty picture.
This campaign is shaping up as one of the nastiest and dirtiest in American history -- and we've had some bad ones.