Subject: Re: Priorities
Voters don't know what the inflation rate was 4 years ago. Answer: it's just about what it is now.

Oh, they couldn't tell you to the decimal point, of course not. But they know it was really low before. They know it's been really high during Biden's term. They also know that it hasn't gotten really low again. Both prices and the inflation rate. It's not high any more. But the inflation rate was 1.4% throughout the Obama Administration, and 1.9% during the Trump Administration. So getting down to 2.4% - after spending a few years way above it - isn't getting people excited about Democratic stewardship of the economy. It's also why there aren't any headlines about how inflation is back down to where it was when Trump was President, which is what might help as well.

Harris talks about the tax cuts for the middle class, women's health, and border security. I would equate those to being her priorities.

I mean, you could equate them with her priorities, if you like, but I don't think very many other people would come up with that as her top issues. I mean, they're things she'd probably do, if she got around to them - but not necessarily things she would prioritize over other matters. It's not like she really emphasizes tax cuts as a central theme in her campaign. She'll mention them, surely. The child tax credit gets a mention in her standard stump speech, as does the tax deduction for small businesses. But I don't think it comes anywhere close to things like Obama's health insurance plan, Sanders' Medicare For All, or Trump's mercantilist trade policy.

If Trump had to choose between Ryan Paul-esque entitlement reform and tighter border controls and tariffs, he'd choose the latter every day of the week and twice on Sunday. If Bernie Sanders had to choose between Medicare 4 All and almost any other Democratic priority (like a carbon tax or racial equity programs), we know what he'd pick also. But Kamala Harris and....middle class tax cuts? Maybe I need to watch more TV and get more ads, but I don't really get that messaging coming through.