Everyones mind is made up. At this point it's just about turn out. If you can make a candidate look more Pathetic right before voting, the enthusiasm to support them by actually doing something that requires a little effort dwindles.
Does this actually boost turnout? Its not particularly functional. You'd maybe think signs about checking your registration and money to help people get to the polls more easily would be a better investment. Does it juice enthusiasm? Is someone seeing this and deciding to vote who otherwise wouldn't?
If you can make a candidate look more Pathetic right before voting
That appears to be the pitch. Heckling Trump will somehow depress his base of support, rather than riling them up. People will see these signs and feel something other than contempt for the folks putting the banners up and it will become a reminder to show up to the polls.
Is that worth more than money kicked to a campaign office to GOTV the old fashioned way? Idk. Feels more like a campaign staffer is being cheeky and wasting campaign resources on a vanity project to me.
I mostly agree with you. But maybe it would have an impact on Trump himself. Either by motivating him to debate, where he might say more stupid shit which could potentially turn off voters who might be leaning Trump but are still iffy. Or again the impact on Trump when these pics go viral on Twitter, even if it doesn’t motivate him to debate, it could still get to him to where he brings this up at rallies and again says some stupid shit which makes him look bad to tenuous voters.
But maybe it would have an impact on Trump himself.
To do what? Have another debate? Trump not debating is useful, because it gives the media something to hound him over. But having another debate just becomes a new spectacle. It doesn't benefit Harris. She proved she's not Biden, which was the only bar she really needed to cross. A second debate won't materially benefit her.
he might say more stupid shit which could potentially turn off voters
The shit he's saying doesn't turn off voters because his voters agree with him. The "Black people are eating your dogs" is just a saying-the-quiet-part-out-loud kind of racism that Republicans love. The "Democrats will let you abort a baby after its born" line is a lie that the pro-life people eat up. These statements validate the bigots and the fascists. They don't scare them away.
it could still get to him to where he brings this up at rallies and again says some stupid shit
Waiting for Trump to say something so stupid that he loses the election is just democrats Waiting for Godot.
I think you drastically underestimate how many undecideds are in the county and sit and say nothing. There are many people that don't decide until the day of. Go vote and don't take it for granted.
Undecideds are drastically overestimated. People who poll undecided with such polar candidates may feel disillusioned by both candidates or they prefer a candidate that is outside of what their family or demographic prefers and they feel conflicted about it. If someone is so truly apathetic about these candidates they aren't going to bother to vote for either. Passionate voters are bad enough about showing up to vote. Very few of these people are going to suddenly resonate with a candidate based on positive or negative campaigning. I really think it's all about nudging the ends of the bell curves on voter turnout for either party.
There is only about 20 percent total of voters that are always on a side. Many can swing either way for many reasons and many don't decide until the last two weeks.
This sort of disinformation leads people to a false sense of security and sways people not to vote thinking that it's already locked up. That is not the truth.