(NewsNation) — Two veteran political strategists are offering their parties the same advice for different reasons. The common call: stay united.
“Democrats will be united because they’ve seen … the Trump show before. It was a disaster. He did terribly,” said Democratic strategist David Katz.
“He’d even be worse this time because he won’t have people like Gen. Kelly and some of the others … who blocked him from following some of his worst instincts. This time, he’ll be all Project 2025. Who wants four years of that,” Katz added.
“If Republicans don’t throw in the big rocks in the pond. You’re not going to go out and get a wave,” said Republican strategist and retired Navy Capt. Armen Kurdian. He notes Trump’s lead in swing states, especially those in the Rust Belt.
“That is a big reason, I believe, why he (Trump) brought JD Vance onto the ticket. He really connects to those voters. Working-class Americans, blue-collar level guys. You can just sway over a couple percent of those to Donald Trump’s favor and it’s game over,” he told “NewsNation Now.”
Kurdian says he believes Republican unity starts with focusing on the party’s base, then expanding Trump’s message to appeal to moderate Democrats who aren’t happy with what he says is the party’s continued move to the left “that is just outside mainstream America.”
“A lot of the moderate blue-collar Democrats, they just want to put food on the table. They just want to know that they can go out and buy a house and have a good education.”
Kurdian said Republicans can also score points by focusing on what he believes is middle-class Americans’ concern over cultural issues.
“They don’t like that states like California are banning parental notification if their kid wants to be called a different gender. They don’t like the fact that other states are passing a lot of these crazy laws that are way off the reservation. They don’t resonate with those that are in the center.”
Katz says he believes that Democrats will remain united regardless of whether President Joe Biden stays in the race or steps aside. And if that happens, he hopes that Vice President Kamala Harris rises to the top of the ticket.
“I think the people who are pessimistic about her are forgetting that she was a prosecutor,” he said. “She always trounced her opposition in California. She went to a public law school. I think it will all come together for her if she’s the candidate.”
But Katz also says a so-called “open convention” would not be a disaster and could generate a lot of interest. But he warned Democrats that, no matter what, they must stay on track.
“Everyone would take a pledge that they’ll support the ultimate candidate. No one’s gonna walk out. No one’s gonna be petulant. It’ll be clear that they’re just enablers of Trump and Vance if they’re petulant, or if they … take their marbles, go home.”
Kurdian believes Republicans can win up and down the ticket if party activists do all they can to get out the vote, and never take victory for granted.
“Republicans, even though they have the lead nationally, should always run as if they are two points behind. Never leave anything on the table.”