This is the Tom Hartman program.

So we are entering election season.

The state of the union has happened. The nominees are

getting pretty clear. We are now in the general election season pretty

squarely, pretty smackly pretty smackly.

Smackly yes smack dabbly.

What should the election be about?

What is the election about.

Here are, and I'm borrowing some of this and grateful for it, here are a few frames.

First, the Republicans would like it to be, Donald Trump would like it to be a referendum on

Joe Biden.

Because in a pincer media era, when left-word folks can be relatively turned to criticize whomever the president is,

particularly in international affairs, but also on domestic affairs.

And when a fair and balanced media likes to go after a Democratic president, would also often go after

Republican president, but is uncomfortable being starkly pro-democracy even when it's obvious maybe that that's what

should happen the New York Times there's lots of both-sizing that it probably

shouldn't the media handed us Donald Trump in a significant way.

The back to the pincer problem.

And then of course you have a right wing media

that will always go after a Democratic president.

Then if you can set up an election as a referendum on the sitting president well it's hard to get a

majority we haven't had a president with majority support after they've been

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