Republicans sharpen their tone

A “Marxist” and a “radical” who wants to “destroy” America: as Democrats rally around the candidacy of Kamala Harris, Republicans have begun employing significantly more negative and aggressive rhetoric than they had against Joe Biden.

An AFP analysis of the language used in nearly 120 hours of televised speeches and remarks by both parties’ candidates and their surrogates, from May 1 to September 1, reveals the strategies Republicans have adopted to undermine the Democratic candidate’s credibility.

After dismissing President Biden as “crooked,” “bad” and “sleepy,” Trump and his supporters now mock Harris as a “border czar,” for what they say is her badly failed work in curbing undocumented migration to the United States.

That nickname has popped up 80 times in rallies — once every 14 times the former California senator’s name is mentioned.
Republicans have repeatedly accused Harris of an “open border” policy, which they say allows “millions of illegal aliens” to flood into the country.

The negative rhetoric is much more prominent now — 30 percent more — than it was against Biden before he dropped out of the race on July 21. Trump supporters appearing on television associate her with negative words like “crime,” “destroy,” “suffer” and “bad.”

At the same time, Democrats have been using much more positive, enthusiastic language since Harris succeeded Biden as the Democrats’ flag-bearer, with words like “freedom,” “joy,” “win” and “care” being used 30 percent more often on talk shows and 70 percent more in rallies.