Originally posted October 1st, 2026:

It looks good on paper, but it needs stronger execution.

As Karl Rove reports in the WSJ,

• Remind voters that President Trump has achieved what he wanted to do
• Show voters that Democrats lack a governing vision

James Blair, President Trump’s political chief, admits that “domestic economic pressure” will be central to the upcoming campaign. Blair, however, believes there will not be “a blue wave at all,” based on the President’s achievements and the economy’s underlying strength. With the country narrowly divided and few players to move around, it will come down to “trench warfare” in battleground contests.

The Problem

John McLaughlin backs Mr. Blair’s thinking. McLaughlin, a pollster, says the challenge is to keep it from becoming a referendum on Donald Trump. Instead, he says, make it a “contrast election.”

The problem is, a successful strategy must be executed properly on all fronts.

Many things can’t be calculated until after election day, “such as how effectively Team Trump will have wielded its financial advantage.” Yes, fundraising totals for GOP groups and MAGA dwarf those of Democratic candidates, parties, and political-action committees. An open question is whether Republicans deploy this well and before voter opinions harden.

Apparently, GOP get-out-the-vote operations are well planned, while the Democratic National Committee’s is flailing. Whatever mechanical advantages the GOP has could be offset by the raw emotion of Democrats eager to vote against the president.

What can be measured in real time is messaging. Rove writes that this past month, “it’s been awful.”

… given Mr. Trump’s poor approval numbers, he has to drive home each day what the GOP has accomplished and will accomplish—and clearly contrast that with what Democrats believe and promise. Instead, we’ve gotten off-putting confusion.

It Was Crickets

Just start in early September: Trump promised to give every adult $ 5,000 if the GOP won. No prior consultation with congressional Republicans and conflicting explanations on how it would be paid. No choir of supportive voices had been organized to cheer the idea, writes Rove.

Not a Good Look

On Sept. 14, Donald Trump Jr. confirmed to the media that a Russian oligarch paid for his lavish post-wedding celebrations.

Voters Are Whipsawed

The President announced that “Iranian leaders want to make a deal.” Six days later, he said he might have to “annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly.”

No voter wants to see the Kennedy Center ending up “being ripped down.”

Lawsuits Proceed

When the president banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House press room, a judge soon restored access with a temporary restraining order. The outlets’ lawsuit against the administration proceeds.

A Lovefest

Trump makes it hard to make Mayor Mamdani a pariah—and tarnish Democrats by extension—when Mr. Trump says the self-described socialist has “great potential.”

These items and more – from the White House dinner honoring Xi Jinping to government money used to run partisan ads – will help form a blue wave.

Without better application, writes Mr. Rove, Trump’s campaign theory will come to nothing.

The White House has to do better, notes Mr. Rove,  starting now.