Opinion by Christopher T. Sununu on August 1, 2024.

REPUBLICANS MUST HOLD OURSELVES TO A HIGHER STANDARD. IT’S WHAT AMERICAN PEOPLE DESERVE, AND IT’S GOOD POLITICS, TOO.

As a Republican governor who has won four elections in a purple state, I’ve learned a thing or two about how to win. As Donald Trump and my fellow Republicans navigate the next steps of their campaigns, my message to them is this: The path to victory in November is not won through character attacks or personal insults.

In fact, those attacks are unlikely to bring a single new voter onboard. Catchy one-liners — calling Vice President Harris a “bum,” “not a serious person” and “bottom of the barrel” — might rile up the base, but they do little to connect with independent voters needed to close the deal in November.

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Independent Voters are Independent for a Reason

Independent voters are independent for a reason. They are not driven to the polls by personal attacks. Candidates need to give them a reason to turn out and vote. What solutions are you going to provide that will make life better for them, their family and their community? This election will likely be a coin toss, and whoever turns out these voters will be well positioned to win.

Now, instead of giving independents a reason to show up and vote for the solutions the Republican Party can offer, our candidates are responding to comments by Democrats like Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota that the G.O.P. is led by “weird people.” Don’t get me wrong, such comments from Democrats do nothing to move the conversation forward either. The message from both sides must be inspirational, focused and about the results that can be delivered for the American people.

Politicians usually don’t lose votes for laughing or smiling too much. Attacks like those waged against Vice President Kamala Harris are unserious and don’t meet the moment that American families find themselves in. You have to connect with voters on their issues and their concerns. You earn their trust by appreciating that the job is bigger than yourself. You win tough elections by showing real empathy and addressing the anxieties that keep them up at night.

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Donald Trump has led in the polls, and his return to the White House has seemed almost inevitable — and not only because Joe Biden was until recently his opponent. Americans are hungry for change. Under the Biden-Harris administration they have seen interest rates skyrocket. Housing prices have risen drastically. Families are struggling to pay their credit card debt and buy groceries. Those kitchen table issues have a real impact on millions of Americans.

The promise of economic relief has a real, tangible impact on families. And through the early summer, the Trump team was offering a disciplined, professional campaign focused on spelling out why American families felt as if they had a bit more cash in their wallets before the Biden presidency.

Sununu: Republicans Lost Their Focus

That was working for Mr. Trump and Republicans. But, at least for the moment, we seem to have lost our focus.

When independent voters in battleground states — those who will determine the outcome of this election — turn on the TV they see too many members of my party lobbing personal attacks at Ms. Harris. It’s the worst kind of politics. It lowers the conversation and it plays into the Democrats’ narrative that this election is about political revenge for Mr. Trump. And more important, it reaps no reward.

The Democrats have a record to answer for. I’ve traveled to the Southern border. The flow of illegal migrants, deadly drugs and human trafficking is a humanitarian crisis that affects all 50 states. It was a policy reversal by the Biden-Harris administration that dissolved our agreement with Mexico and contributed to a spike in illegal crossings and a migrant housing crisis.

Mr. Trump has a record of accomplishments he can focus on that will earn him votes. Republican leadership delivered opportunity zones and spurred billions of private investment in economically distressed communities to create new jobs. Under Republican leadership, wages rose faster than inflation, tax relief was provided and the child tax credit was doubled for many families.

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Polls show the economy, inflation and border security are top issues for voters today. When Republicans stick to those issues and follow them up with solutions, we connect with voters, it is appreciated, and votes are earned.

Touting our successes — the ways that a Republican administration opened doors of opportunity for American families and made life a bit easier — was working. It still can.

Now more than ever, Americans — independents, especially — are ready to turn down the heat on political rhetoric. The topic of “childless cat ladies” has yet to register as a winning issue for Republicans in the polls. Until that happens (spoiler: it won’t), let’s focus on what matters: making life easier for families.

In the past six months, I’ve met countless people who have never voted for Mr. Trump before, but are considering supporting him now because they see what’s going wrong in this country. But they all say the same thing: they can’t get past his personal attacks. They just want him to talk about solutions. It’s these voters who matter the most in determining who leads this country forward. Republican strength in the polls has been a direct result of our focus on giving voters a reason to show up.

With less than 100 days to go until Election Day, any time spent on personal attacks or distracting rhetoric is not just time wasted, it’s time lost. Republicans must hold ourselves to a higher standard. It’s what American people deserve, and it’s good politics, too.

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This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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