Are Trump's warnings of American decline effective?

+ how Russia promotes anti-Western messages through the media US Edition - Today's top story: Politicians often warn of American decline – and voters often buy it [View in browser]( US Edition | 12 September 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Watching the first presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on Tuesday evening, I was repeatedly struck by how it seemed that they weren’t even talking about the same country. Trump often repeated his claim that the U.S. is a failing nation, along with many falsehoods about immigrants and Democrats’ abortion policy. Harris, meanwhile, stressed a hopeful, positive perspective that Americans have more in common that unites rather than divides them. Trump’s warnings to voters about further doom and gloom are far from new for him – but he also isn’t the first politician to [harp on ideas of American decline as a way to scare and persuade voters](, explains Jonathan Schulman, a scholar of public opinion and the domestic politics of U.S. foreign policy. Schulman explains in a recent story that even during the 1960 presidential election, John F. Kennedy warned voters: “I don’t want historians, 10 years from now, to say these were the years when the tide ran out for the United States.” Schulman’s research shows the more people hear or read about American decline on the global stage, the more likely they are to believe it – whether or not it is true. Harris, though, is taking a decidedly different tack, focusing on hopeful themes and moving forward with optimism. “Democrats are now fighting emotion with emotion. And that is more likely to resonate than informing people that things are not as bad as they fear,” Schulman writes. Also in this week’s politics news: - [How museum curators capture history of presidential debates]( - [Yes, Trump team broke Arlington National Cemetery rules]( - [Kamala Harris’ purported Irish roots reflect complex legacy]( Amy Lieberman Politics + Society Editor While Donald Trump regularly discusses the risk of the U.S. losing its powerful standing in the world, Kamala Harris has taken a different approach that also hinges on emotion. altmodern/Getty Images [Politicians often warn of American decline – and voters often buy it]( Jonathan Schulman, University of Pennsylvania Donald Trump often speaks of an America in decline. Kamala Harris counters with a rival emotional appeal centered around excitement and joy. Inside the studio during an RT broadcast. Misha Friedman/Getty Images [How Russia employs ‘hard soft power’ to influence overseas media and sow dissent and fear among foreign populations]( Catherine Luther, University of Tennessee; Brandon Prins, University of Tennessee A new study found that pliant local media in Ukraine and Georgia was manipulated by Moscow to present anti-Western narratives. Voting signs are seen in Jackson, Miss., during the 2023 governor’s race. Brandon Bell/Getty Images [How Democrats are making a mistake in rural America – by not showing up]( Jeff Bloodworth, Gannon University Democrats have been losing rural voters across the US since the 1960s, and that collapse has fueled Donald Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ movement. [Crossing state lines to get an abortion is a new legal minefield, with courts to decide if there’s a right to travel]( Naomi Cahn, University of Virginia; Sonia Suter, George Washington University Iowa and Idaho have passed abortion trafficking laws that stop people from helping minors get abortions. These laws open the door for questions about the right to travel to get an abortion. [Could Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Kamala Harris make a difference? 19% of young people admit a celebrity’s OK might influence them]( Richard T. Longoria, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley While celebrities are unlikely to decisively shift whom many people choose to vote for, their endorsement of a political candidate can still help shape an election. [Is it time to retire the ‘Arab-Israeli conflict’? Hostilities now extend beyond those boundaries]( Nader Habibi, Brandeis University America and Iran are now just as much a part of the decadeslong conflict as Arab states. Is it time to start referring to the ‘MENA-ISRAME’ conflict? [Starting with a handshake, presidential debate between Harris and Trump then turns fierce, and pointed]( Rodney Coates, Miami University; Lee Banville, University of Montana From inflation to abortion, foreign policy and democracy, the two presidential candidates went at it fiercely during their prime-time debate. Two scholars – of race and of journalism – weigh in. [Neutral news sources could exploit today’s polarized mediascape to boost revenue − here’s why they may choose not to]( Abhishek Ray, George Mason University US news outlets perceived as politically centrist could inch rightward or leftward to attract a larger, more partisan readership − but only at the cost of journalistic credibility. [Under both Trump and Biden-Harris, US oil and gas production surged to record highs, despite very different energy goals]( Valerie Thomas, Georgia Institute of Technology Trump aggressively supported fossil fuels. The Biden-Harris administration focused on replacing them with clean energy. Yet, data show the US oil and gas industries still thrived under both. - [Supreme Court’s ruling in Trump v. United States would have given Nixon immunity for Watergate crimes — but 50 years ago he needed a presidential pardon to avoid prison]( Ken Hughes, University of Virginia President Gerald Ford’s pardon of former President Richard Nixon 50 years ago is seen as a damaging precedent establishing presidential impunity. Now, the Supreme Court has affirmed that impunity. - [A Nazi magazine regularly published manipulated photos and misinformation, long before the age of AI]( Daniel H. Magilow, University of Tennessee The Nazis routinely shared altered photos in their official publication, the Illustrierter Beobachter, causing readers to question what was real or fake. - [Kamala Harris’ message to women on ‘freedom’ helps explain why Black and white Christians are deeply divided over support for Donald Trump]( Youssef Chouhoud, Christopher Newport University; Dara Delgado, Allegheny College; Flavio Rogerio Hickel Jr., Washington College; Leah Payne, George Fox University The history of Black religious life in the US includes people of all faiths using their beliefs to fight for social justice. - [East is East, West is West − and Turkey is looking to forge its own BRICS path between the two]( Jorge Heine, Boston University NATO member Turkey’s intention to join the 9-member body that functions as an alternative to the Western-led order shows Ankara’s global ambitions. - [Free school meals are on the rise in the US − but that could change depending on who wins the 2024 presidential election]( - [Kamala Harris’ purported Irish ancestry highlights complicated backstory of identity and enslavement]( - [Trump campaign violated rules in Arlington National Cemetery visit, cemetery legal expert explains]( - [Bobbleheads, Magic 8 Balls, chairs and other artifacts in the Smithsonian reveal the historical significance of presidential debates]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? 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