Democrats have a lot to do to counter attacks by GOP

The Democratic National Convention begins Monday in Philadelphia against the backdrop of the Republican Party coalescing around its virulent hatred for Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

Last week in Cleveland, the tension at the Republican National Convention over the nomination of New York City billionaire businessman Donald Trump was eased every time Clinton’s name was mentioned. And it was mentioned a lot over the four-day gathering – in a variety of very unpleasant ways.

As Tracey Winbush, a delegate from Mahoning County pledged to Ohio Gov. John Kasich, explained it, she’s supporting Trump because he’s “better than her.”

Winbush, who is on the public payroll as a member of the county board of elections, could not bring herself to say the name “Hillary Clinton.”

From Trump referring to the former first lady as “Crooked Hillary,” to Republican pollster Frank Luntz cracking locker room-type jokes about the soon-to-be Democratic nominee and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, during a breakfast attended by the Ohio GOP delegation, to speakers at each day’s convention sessions, the message was clear: Demonize the first woman in the history of the country to win the nomination of a major political party.

Therein lies the challenge for the Democrats as they make the case over the next four days for why they deserve to hold on to the White House after eight years of Democrat Barack Obama.

It is noteworthy that the DNC is starting off with a bang. First Lady Michelle Obama and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, whose campaign for the nomination inspired millions of voters, especially young people, will speak on the theme “United Together.”

It stands in stark contrast to the slogan used by Trump to attract more than 14 million voters, including independents and Democrats: “Make America Great Again.” The slogan, of course, implies that this nation isn’t great.

DEMOCRATS’ OPPORTUNITY

Democrats have the opportunity to show why Trump and the GOP are way off base in constructing their fall campaign on what’s wrong with America.

Indeed, the nation will have the chance to clearly discern the differences between the two approaches when former President Clinton delivers the keynote address on Tuesday.

Clinton remains hugely popular with Democrats, and his record in office, built around the budget surplus he left for his successor, has enabled Democratic candidates to argue that they can be good stewards of the public dollars.

Last week, Republicans contended that President Barack Obama has driven the nation’s economy into the ground, has been soft on domestic and global terrorism, has done little to ease the growing tension between black Americans and the police and has undermined this country’s standing as the lone superpower.

They argued – and will continue to argue – that a Hillary Clinton presidency will be an extension of the Obama administration’s failed policies.

The presumptive Democratic nominee also has the problem of high negatives when it comes to the extremely important issue of trust.

Although Trump’s negatives are even higher, the Republicans have been able to wrap the issue in Clinton’s email-server scandal.

The FBI conducted a thorough investigation of Clinton’s use of a private email server to conduct official business as secretary of state and concluded that although she did not commit any crimes, she was guilty of extreme carelessness in her handling of secret documents through the emails.

Republicans in Congress who insist that she is guilty of breaking the law will not let the issue die. “Lock her up” became the rallying cry last week.

Trump, who has never run for public office before and shocked the experts when he just about swept the Republican primaries and caucuses, sees the email scandal as a winning issue, and has been vicious in his attacks on her.

Democrats attending the national convention in Philadelphia are no doubt aware that the American people have been treated to four days of anti- Democratic, anti-Obama and anti-Clinton rhetoric. The GOP has scored political points – by electing a nonpolitical, anti-establishment, successful businessman as its standard bearer.

Hillary Clinton must now make the case that experience in government at the highest levels is necessary when it comes to running the most powerful nation on earth.