GOP strategist: While Trump complains, Democrats are stealing our message and voters | Opinion

Kamala Harris accomplished what she needed to do this week at the Democratic National Convention.

For voters watching her for the first time, they saw a vision of America that aligns with their hopes for the future, absent the bitterness and divisiveness of today. Harris focused on a renewed working and middle class, positioned herself as a centrist and used national security and her time as a prosecutor to show toughness.

Her family gave America a glimpse into who she is. Her husband, Doug Emhoff’s, slight goofiness only made him more relatable, which humanized Harris. The rest of the family — from her nieces teaching America how to pronounce “Kamala” to her sister sharing stories about growing up — helped Harris make a case to voters that they could trust and vote for her.

However, the convention got off to a rough start.

For the first three days, it was a disjointed mess that lacked a cohesive message. Voters who tuned in witnessed a parade of politicians giving the same speech without saying much. For three days, it was a convention about nothing. Democrats seemed to only offer one promise: They’re not Donald Trump.

Democrats wrestled all week with their Joe Biden problem. He remains unpopular, yet speaker after speaker thanked and praise him. When Biden addressed the delegates, he chose to defend his record instead of setting the stage for a Harris presidency. What Democrats needed was a “passing of the torch” moment, not a “joint custody” arrangement.

There were other missteps. During his acceptance speech Harris’ running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, could have connected with voters in battleground states by highlighting a vision to create jobs and make things more affordable. Instead, he spoke about abortion and gun control. The former teacher even mocked GOP vice presidential candidate JD Vance for going to Yale — shortly after Oprah spoke about the unlimited opportunity in America.

At the end of the day, Democrats presented a compelling message to America. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro delivered remarks aimed at bringing home voters in key states. The emotional stories by gun violence survivors were powerful and will go a long way towards persuading suburban voters.

But the real stars of the Democratic convention were Barack and Michelle Obama.

While Michelle gave the best speech of the convention, Barack’s speech will go down as one of the great speeches in American history. He spoke to independents, disaffected Republicans, Black and Hispanic voters. He told us that we stand at a crossroads in history and called on Americans to chart a new way forward to meet the challenges of today. It was almost Reaganesque.

Barack Obama reminded us of an America that still believes in the unlimited potential of individuals, and that the U.S. remains the beacon of hope for freedom loving people around the world. He showed Democrats how to pick up the Republican mantle — rooted in the rule of law, upholding the Constitution and a fierce defense of our freedoms — that has been discarded by the MAGA movement.

By the fourth day, Democratic speakers were extolling the virtues of a strong military, praising John McCain and Ronald Reagan. They also gave a prime-time slot to former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger, who made a compelling argument to disaffected Republicans to put country first.

While Trump was busy complaining that Harris stole his “no tax on tips” idea, Democrats are stealing our message and our voters.

The hard truth for Republicans is that our actions have made it easy for Democrats to disguise their radical agenda in a cloak of patriotism and a fight to preserve the Republic. In a divided America wrestling with what the future looks like and who to choose in this election, Republicans need to understand we don’t win by subtraction.

Republicans must inspire and get back to our founding principles. Democrats are energized. Harris still has the momentum, and right now all she needs to do is run out the electoral clock.

Matt Wylie is a S.C. based Republican political strategist with over 25 years of experience on federal, state and local campaigns.