Running for president is a little like wooing an entire country into a romantic relationship, and Joe Biden and Donald Trump have already started the process for the 2024 presidential election by making their case to the more than 17,000 United Auto Workers members on picket lines at 38 auto plants in 20 states.
The suitors’ attempts have been somewhat thought-provoking and occasionally eye-roll-inducing. Furthermore, the pursued beloved has been about as fickle, flirtatious, and unreasonable as one could hope for in the romantic comedy that is American politics. (RELATED from Aubrey Gulick: The Latest Union Strike Might Turn Workers Red)
Of course, winning the hand of American blue-collar workers isn’t simple; it requires finesse and empathy. So, as a sleepy, distant Biden and a blustering and energetic Trump return from the picket lines and auto plants in Detroit, it’s worth comparing their performances with the basic sensibilities of courting.
Step One: Plan a Location
So, let’s say you’re about to ask a girl on a date — where should you take her? Well, that depends on the girl.
Biden, the self-proclaimed “most pro-union president in history,” chose the picket line. He was only there for a few minutes, but there is something to be said for standing in solidarity with union members — even if you’re the one causing the problem in the first place. The result? Biden has earned the support of the leaders of the labor union. UAW President Shawn Fain went to bat for him on CNN and refused to even meet with Trump.
On the other hand, Trump made what might seem on the surface a rather counterproductive decision: He chose to hold his event for union members at a non-union plant — and was blasted for it. “I find it a pathetic irony,” Fain said during a CNN interview. What Fain failed to notice is that Trump isn’t wooing the unions per se, but blue-collar Americans, many of whom are members of a union.
Step Two: Spend Time With Them
Once on a date, it’s usually a good idea to actually stay on the date. It takes time to get to know a person and what they care about — and it takes even more time to convince them that you care.
The calculus Biden’s campaign ran with was apparently: “Biden courted the country from his basement four years ago, so any time spent campaigning at all is generous!” So, Biden gave an 87-second speech, spent 12 minutes shaking hands and getting all the necessary photos, and then ran off to hang out with his elitist friends at a campaign fundraiser in San Francisco. It’s hard to bungle up an 87-second speech.
Trump, on the other hand, spent Wednesday evening with autoworkers in Detroit (while his Republican opponents sparred half a country away). Granted, his event was more curated than Biden’s, but making Detroit a destination and not a pit stop will likely serve him well.
Step Three: Be a Friend
Most long-term relationships begin with friendship, and most friendships begin with understanding. The first thing to understand in this case is what made blue-collar Americans mad in the first place — they aren’t participating in the latest American labor “upsurge” for no reason. Inflation is rising while pay isn’t, and most Americans, it turns out, like to be able to afford their grocery bill when they reach the checkout line.
Biden doesn’t seem to notice; he’s been touting the success of Bidenomics for a while now, but it’s hard to make friends while lying to them through your teeth. And, as far as union workers are concerned, Biden’s policies are part of the problem — after all, it was his administration that pushed for, and is currently funding, the electric vehicles that could undermine the modern auto industry. (RELATED: UAW Strikers Strike Out)
The root of Biden’s problem is that he wants a polyamorous relationship with the labor industry and the international globalist cabal, two organizations working for very different ends.
Blue-collar Americans haven’t blamed him quite yet for cheating on them, but Trump certainly has. “Crooked Joe Biden had no intention of going to visit the United Autoworkers, until I announced that I would be heading to Michigan to be with them, & help then out. Actually, Crooked Joe sold them down the river with his ridiculous all Electric Car Hoax,” Trump said on Truth Social.
Trump, of course, has the advantage here — this isn’t his economy, so he doesn’t have to lie about how great it is.
Step Four: Relate
There are two ways to empathize with a potential romantic partner — you can flatter them, or you can commiserate. Biden went with the former option. His 87-second speech went like this: “The fact of the matter is that you guys, the UAW — you saved the automobile industry back in 2008 and before,” he told picketers. “Folks, stick with it, because you deserve the significant raise you need and other benefits. Let’s get back what we lost, okay?”
At this point, it’s probably worth noting that the union is demanding a 32-hour work week and a 36 percent raise — frankly, an unreasonable demand.
Trump took a different tactic. “Just like you’re fighting for your rights in your American dream, I’m fighting for my rights and fighting for my freedom against the coordinated … very politicized forces of evil,” he told attendees on Wednesday night. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
As for those rather unrealistic demands? Trump didn’t exactly strike an encouraging note: “You’re all on picket lines and everything, but it doesn’t make a damn bit of difference what you get because in two years — you’re all going to be out of business. You’re not getting anything. What they’re doing to the auto industry in Michigan and throughout the country is absolutely horrible and ridiculous.” (RELATED: Joe Biden, the Man Ruining Workers, Disguises Himself as One)
That’s a tone that is far more likely to produce results. The UAW has been throwing a pity party for themselves for the last two weeks, and Trump is perfectly willing to throw down with them.
Step Five: Ask Them
The final step of any relationship takes guts. Ideally, the suitor overcomes his fear of rejection and asks for acceptance. Trump made it to this point Wednesday night — he asked the UAW members present to endorse him, knowing that traditionally they’ve been Democrats.
Biden, on the other hand, hasn’t asked yet. By this point, he would usually have the union’s endorsement, but he doesn’t, and he says he’s not worried about it. One wonders if he’s just scared of rejection.