By Jeff Davidson,
I’m driving 105 miles from Raleigh to Winston-Salem, NC. I have made this trip more than one hundred times. All the while I’ll be on I-40 which if, you continued on beyond Winston-Salem, would take you all the way to the coast in California.
Signs of Futility
On this particular journey, days before the election, for the first time ever, I see a massive number of electronic billboards, where you can change what is depicted every couple of seconds. All of these billboards are promoting Kamala Harris. This is an odd development because this strip of highway is deep Republican territory.
According to numerous reports, the Harris/Walz campaign has raised more than one billion dollars in campaign contributions for allocation everywhere. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t matter if they had raised two billion dollars, Harris is not going to be elected.
As I drive down the highway and encounter one billboard after another it strikes me that they’re these ads are not saying much. One message states that Harris voted to lower taxes on middle class families. How many dozens other senators, however, have done the same over the years? Another billboard says that she supports maintaining social security for seniors. Okay, but where is the impact here? All she is doing is emulating Donald Trump, as she as sought to do on many issues.
Nothing to See Here
As I encounter endless lame billboards, I eventually get the message. She doesn’t have much to say and her achievements are minuscule. Any notable achievements would be widely touted. Her handlers would ensure that anything which has great impact would be included. Since the Harris campaign has little or nothing to accent, then all they can do is cite how she voted in the senate five and 10 years ago, even if she’s never lifted a finger beyond merely saying that she supports this or that issue.
Another billboard exhibits a picture of JD Vance. It doesn’t mention anything about him except for the single word, “weird” with an exclamation point for emphasis. Is this all that Harris and company have to say about Trump’s running mate? Do they believe that calling Vance weird is going to convince anyone to vote for Democrats?
Now if a split billboard, citing Tim Walz as the opposite of weird (a monumental challenge) the message could be effective. Still, what would you call Walz? Normal? Rational? Composed? Nothing seems to fit.
Do Harris and Walz think that they are not, to use the operative word here, weird themselves? What’s weirder than being the presidential candidate for a major political party, having never received any primary votes, and having only to make one backroom deal? That’s not merely weird, it’s anti-democratic.
Messages with Impact
As I exit the highway, I’ve only seen a handful of pro-Trump billboards. One in particular stands out. It’s a traditional billboard featuring a picture of Kamala Harris on one side and Donald Trump on the other. Under Harris, one word appears: cackles. Under Trump one word appears: solutions. Only two words, but the message is striking.
Another billboard in support of Donald Trump explains how he will restore the economy. He will resume American drilling and energy supply, stop the flood of illegals, and stimulate manufacturing. Thus he will help to create more jobs in America.
His messages are on target. Since he’s done these things before, these are not hollow promises; they are well within his capabilities.
Money to Burn
When you have more than one billion dollars in your coffers, I guess you have money to burn. These billboards, in central North Carolina, are likely mirrored by a variety of such billboards across America. In total, will they have any effect? Will voters driving along think, “Okay, that billboard convinced me.”
When your name is Kamala Harris, joined by Maoist wannabe Tim Walz, and you’re running on fumes, with no idea how to run the country, to lead, to get things done, or to stand toe-to-toe with the world’s autocrats and dictators, you need a lot of slogans and a lot of name calling.
If this is the best that Democrats can generate, their fate is sealed. Without massive cheating, they have no chance.
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Jeff Davidson is “The Work-Life Balance Expert®” and the premier thought leader on work-life balance, effectiveness, integration, shift, blend, and harmony. Jeff speaks to organizations that seek to enhance their overall productivity by improving the effectiveness of their people. He is the author of Breathing Space, Perfect Timing, Simpler Living, Dial it Down, and Everyday Project Management. Visit BreathingSpace.com or call 919-932-1996 for more information on Jeff’s keynote speeches and seminars.
