Here's Why The Election Is Now Kamala Harris's 'Campaign To Lose' Going Into The DNC: Frank Luntz

[Music] hi everybody I'm Britney Lewis a breaking news reporter here at Forbes joining me now as pollster and political consultant Frank Lun Frank thank you so much for joining me well it's a privilege and every time I do this I get to meet with 50 or 60,000 sometimes 100,000 people who are enjoying these programs so I appreciate that people are paying attention and they are paying attention in our last conversation we spoke 2 days after President Joe Biden stepped out of the race we talked about the historic nature of the moment and you said that because it was an unprecedented time we have to listen and learn now it's almost a month later we listened what did you learn I learned that voters want an alternative wanted an alternative and are glad to have an alternative between rehashing 2020 all over again I learned that younger women who are so eager to participate in this election because they like the choice that they have now but they've been energized it's completely changed the makeup of the election I learned that Republicans were as likely as not to capture everything when we last talked the White House the Senate and the house now it is as likely as not that the Republicans lose everything come then and I also learned that there are people who simply don't want to listen and don't want to learn and only have their own narrow points of you that hasn't changed and so I'm still pessimistic about where our country will be on Election Day and how we're going to proceed when one candidate wins and one candidate loses who are those people do you think that don't want to listen don't want to learn are you talking about candidates are you talking about pundits are you talking about voters it's all of us I've been engaged in this email exchange to a well-known actress very very talented individual who doesn't like it when I'm asked a question by you and you're going to do it what advice do I give to Trump what advice do I give to Harris she does not want me to give that advice she literally wants me to say to you I can't answer that question because I don't want to help Donald Trump and they and they and they don't understand that our job as unbiased impartial observers is to analyze the situation and then provide guidance based on 35 years of working in this industry so this is great because I'm actually going to send this segment if you air it I'm going to send it to her saying what do you want me to do not answer a legitimate question not take part in a discussion we can't behave that way what is wrong with us as a country that we so demonize each other so resent each other hate each other that we would undermine the responsibility of a fair and accurate media that we would refuse to participate and answer legi question this is what I'm learning and this and it makes me feel really bad for the future of the country because we're not seeking to listen and learn we're just seeking to promote our own ideologies and philosophies and that's not what democracy is about it just is I think that's a really good point so I'll help you out here in this segment I'll ask the question what your advice would be to Donald Trump because let's just look back at the race in the past month a month ago before Biden dropped out after the assassination attempt right after the RNC many would argue it would be Donald Trump's race to lose he was surging in the polls there was United GOP there was this sense of unity amongst his party now the momentum and enthusiasm aren't on his side so a what do you think has happened and B what's your advice to that that campaign to get back on track it was his race to lose and he lost it but I've been told this and this from Governor uh Chris Nunu New Hampshire you can't have something stolen from you that you've given away and Donald Trump has given away this election to vice president Harris by how he's behaved by what he said Trump has the advantage on the key issues inflation and immigration Trump has an advantage on which Administration was more efficient and more effective but instead of talking those issues where Trump has the advantage and the ones that Americans care about instead he's making personal attacks he's alienating the very people he needs to support he's even attacking other Republicans such as the very popular governor of Maryland the very popular governor of Georgia he's making it impossible for Republicans to unite he's making it impossible for people to look forward rather than look backward and in the result he's costing Republicans not just hundreds of thousands but millions of Voters and in the end he's going to have to accept what he want but that he's actually the campaign's worst enemy and that he is actually comma Harris's greatest Ally It's interest go ahead I was just going to say it's really interesting because more voters think that Trump is better on the bigger issues like the economy like inflation like immigration he went on the attack on vice president KLA Harris's economic plan said it was full commun communist called her comrade kamla are those types of attacks effective and what should he be doing then because you said he needs to talk about the issues so how does he effectively talk about the issues they were effective eight years ago but we're not the same country what got Donald Trump elected in 2016 will not get him elected in 2024 and I don't understand why he doesn't appreciate that does that he doesn't feel it and haris people want us all to be silent and so so as to not give any ideas to him but you've nothing to worry about because he doesn't take ideas they even surrounded him with food to emphasize just how expensive food prices have become and instead of focusing on that he starts his adom tax against her in my entire professional life and I'm old I've never seen the candidate self-destruct as quickly and as deliberately as Donald Trump that's not to say that he cannot win but it is to say that clearly as we go into the Democratic Convention Harris is winning and it is now her campaign to lose and so significant and what your listeners and viewers will care about most is it's not just a presidential race because young women are energized because they are united because and expands the Electoral pool it is now a 50/50 maybe even 5149 that the Democrats take the house and the Senate with the White House and that the significance of that success if it comes to comes into being will change this country forever changes in taxes changes in regulatory policy changes in climate issues changes in Union relationships a democratic Triple Play sweep is not just about the vice about the vice president becoming president it is about an entire issue G beginning with the filibuster and ending it continuing with the Supreme Court and expanding it continuing with legislation on some of the social issues that have been so divisive that you will actually see a different country within a year and I say this because it's my job not just to see where we are right now but to project three months from now three years from now and what I see in state after States is a public that's rising up and saying enough no more of this broke bullying no more of this negativity no more of this stuff that Trump had been saying and doing and they desperately want something else something better and when he attacks other Republicans he guarantees that the party is not United and that gives the Democrats a victory so it really Harris is going to need to send Trump a bouquet of flowers on election day because it is he who's most likely to elect her president a democratic sweep is not something we would ever even think or dream of up until a month ago in this election but you did use a word that I want you to talk about a little more you said that Donald Trump's self-destructing campaign you thought it could be deliberately talk about what you mean by deliberate in his campaign strategy so far that seems to be flat-footed has been called flailing well the campaign is not flailing it's the candidate and I've often been critical about people in my profession as they should be with me when me make mistakes the Trump campaign actually is reasonably well organized it's the candidate that seems to be getting it wrong and no you we've been at this now we know it works we know it fails it's as though he's ignoring and Del deliberately engaging in messaging that will cost him votes he has to win Georgia he lost the two Senator he lost Georgia and the two senators lost in 2020 both of them because Donald Trump condemn them condemn the process said his election was stolen uh and convinced people not to vote I can give you the best comparison to explain where we are right right now KLA Harris reminds some men of their first wife Donald Trump reminds some women particularly younger women of their first husband's divorce lawyer and that level of anger and that level of Victory all guarantees that a candidate loses so I'll say this I put it out there and I'll be condemned forever if I'm wrong but if Trump continues the same campaign does this in the debates does this in challenges to Harrison maybe there'll be another debate if he continues on the course of he's taking right now she is the next president of the United States it's very dangerous for me to say so on a program like this because it can and will be used against me in my professional life but that's how significant his mistakes are and that's how much damage they are doing and you asked me the previous question what could he do the answer is threefold and it's three questions are you better off today than you were four years ago did the Biden Harris philosophy make inflation and immigration better or worse than it was under the Trump Administration and which candidate do you think is most likely to produce a meaningful measurable detailed plan of action for the future on immigration and on inflation we know the answers to those questions questions that is where Trump has his best lead ask it as a question and voters will answer it in a way that Trump wants continue to make these ridiculous statements about race and gender and communism and you'll lose it really is that simple and it really is that typical to your point then if those answers would be favorable to Trump what does kamla Harris need to do then because right now the Democratic ticket seems really high on Vibes and a little light on policy Jackie Heinrich of fox tweeted this today on the opening night of the DNC Harris's campaign website has no policy section there are bios for Harrison walls a tab to donate a tab to volunteer and a merch St there's been a honeymoon phase so when is the honeymoon phase going to be over and can she survive that when she has to talk policy head-to-head to Donald Trump she simply doesn't want to you you you've raised it exactly you've characterized this campaign and it has put her in the lead and they see that and so they're not eager to engage in the discussion of policy quite frankly if I were advising them I'd simply say ignore the criticisms you don't have to do a press conference you don't have to go detail by detail you simply have to show voters only that you care but you're going solution for them but you don't have to do the eyes you don't have to cross the te and by the way what I'm advising is horrible for democracy but this is what I would advise the candidate and I think that viewers need to distinguish what gets someone elected versus what repairs the ugliness and revigor Ates our democracy and revitalizes our country because they're two very different things she's doing exactly what she needs to be successful on Election Day and it's exactly what is inappropriate right now with our cynicism and our negativity towards democracy and towards the election we need and deserve and have the right to expect Solutions and that's what she should be doing they not get her elected that will make this country a stronger place to live you brought up the topic of democracy last time and asked what is the impact of this on our democracy I want to pose that question again because I do think it's important I think the solutions are important let's take the politics out of it but it's so hard to do that because there's no election without the politics in it but what's the impact on our democracy the impact is that we continue to cast dispersions towards each other because we don't understand each other there's no effort to learn from each other Fox News viewers should turn into Ms tune into MSNBC MSNBC viewers should tune into Fox your viewers should tune into CNBC and Fox Business and they should do the same with you we need to get this variety of opinion we need to understand how people think how they need because if you write people off if you simply shut them down they will demand to be heard they will will make their voices heard and you'll get another outcome like 2016 I have so many Democratic friends that come to me and say I can't believe what happened I can't believe he got elected and I said to them if you'd watched Fox if you listened to talk radio you would have seen what was going on and just maybe just maybe you could have prevented it but if we're so narrow-minded and I get really agitated over this as you can tell we're so narrow-minded that we don't understand how people live and I always try to give you a statistic every single time we do these interviews to me the most significant statistic and the people who make up this election are the 23% of Americans who live paycheck to paycheck they're not Republicans Or democrats they're not liberals or conservatives they're Americans and they're generally struggling and they see all these debates and they hear all this yelling and screaming on TV they may read it in newspapers although they probably don't have time because they're trying to make against me and they're simply asking for someone to talk to them to listen to them to understand what's going wrong with them and to have a solution to make it go right and unless we address these people we're going to have a I want to use the S show but I don't want to get you in trouble but we're going to have this this is going to continue and those who choose not to hear from those they don't understand and don't appreciate just know that you're not part of the solution you're actually part of the problem and people like me are going to hold you accountable we can fix the economic hole in this country but only if we understand what creates jobs it gives us more opportunity and how people are really struggling and they need a direction and after all your viewers are economic voters for the most part we can heal what's dividing this country politically but only if we seek to apply answers rather than he our grievances the reason that we don't have peace in the Middle East which is happening right now as you're taking this interview is because they keep going back to what happened last year 10 years ago a 100 years ago it's all about redressing or addressing grievances from the past past rather than finding solutions for the future and I know that this is not really what you want me to talk about but it's what I talk about in every interview this is solvable America is still a great country we still have an incredible future if we choose to accept our responsibility to look past the mistakes and the Grievances of today and focus on achieving meaningful measurable results tomorrow and not optimistic that we will do it but I know that we have the possibility no I think it's really of the utmost importance to talk about these Americans that are living to paycheck to paycheck I know how stressful that can be and there's 23% of Americans you're saying that are living that right now do you think either Canada is doing a good job or a job at all of addressing their economic concerns Trump did it for four years and doesn't get credit for it because he insists on on veering off to some sort of personal attack Harris the argument goes we don't know what she did do because she hasn't really told us we don't know what she stands on B's Economic Policy she hasn't told us so this is an example of where rubber meets the road both of these candidates have the ability to speak to those both voters explicitly and the candidate that does so in that first presidential debate when they're side by side you have Trump with his Bluster but his record of that the public thinks is okay and Biden with his respect but a record that public thinking suspect in the end Harris has to say where she stands and she has to give us a solution to these and frankly in terms of public opinion I don't believe that wage and price controls I don't believe that telling companies that they are by law required to sell for less I'm going to focus specifically on food everybody wants the workers in grocery stores to be paid more what does that mean you take it out of profits everybody wants food to Cost Less what does that mean you take it out of profits every Everybody Wants these stores to serve people in underserved communities the least profitable stores do all three of them you'll have stores closing you'll have change closing you'll have stores going out of business so mam vice president which is a higher priority to you serving the underserved ensuring that workers get paid what they deserve or ensuring that food prices are now affordable in this economy we can't do all three which one you want to to give up and the problem is no one's will to answer that question neither Trump nor Harr is ring to but that is legitimately the question the answer will get you killed but Americans deserve to know what your priorities are how important then is that presidential debate between her and Trump and her economic question there because we all remember the June 27th debate changed the course of history so what are you looking out for when it comes to the economic questions on September 10th who's asking the rhetorical question is the one I'm going to look for first are you better off today and will you be better off four years from now most important the second is how do we get there doesn't require you to dot the eyes and cross the teeth but it does require you to talk about making tough choices nobody wants to do that everybody wants to communicate it that it's really easy the other side got us into this mess that we're in and they're going to make it worse what are you going to do what policies are going to create sacrifice for Rich voters tell us the darn truth and I believe that that candidate will be rewarded but I don't think either candidate will do so and the truth is Republicans want the Democrat to sacrifice the Democrats want the Republican to sacrifice Independents want both sides to sacrifice and no one trust each other and that's the fundamental problem I believe that this debate will be marked by criticisms and attacks and I'm waiting to see somebody Rise From the Ashes Like a Phoenix and say we deserve better than this and then actually make it better well I I really like that sentiment but before I let you go the DNC is officially underway right now in Chicago what are you looking out for I'm watching the protest because I'm going to be there starting tomorrow I'm seeing which roads are closed I saw that how many were Clos yesterday it's impossible to get from point A to point B because of the protesters people have come not to share points of view but to to monopolize the conversation to demand to be heard at the expense of freedom of speech of freedom of expression of freedom of assembly they do have the right to be there they do have the right to be low and I encourage that right but not the expense of the truth and not at the expense of others who wish to voice their concerns and their priorities that's the first thing I'm looking for is how the Chicago handle it the second thing is I'm looking for specific answers Joe Biden's GNA be a great speech about the past Bill Clinton Barack Obama they're uh Michelle Obama they're all great speakers and they're all going to make people feel better about Harris but I'm asking about the next election and I'm asking about the Next Generation who is going to make a difference an actual difference in our daily quality of lives and who's going to Res restore and repair the breach that we are suffering from right now these are things that I as an academic care about I know that the media doesn't care as much about it but it's now time for us to put aside differences and pull together because if we don't we will all be pulling separately and I'm not convinced that we can survive another four years of separate but equal politics because it isn't equal it's not even equivalent and it's really hard in this country right now well Frank on that note I appreciate your perspective per usual I appreciate all the wisdom you impart on me and our viewers have fun at the DNC stay safe and thank you for joining me it's a privilege and you know that whenever you all call I'm going to answer