[guest post by Dana]

You decide:

“Too Scared To Face The People” is from the Biden camp:

“Kneel” is from the Trump campaign:

As far as clarity of messaging goes, both ads were effective in being clear. And it seems that both camps have figured out that a shorter campaign ad draws more eyes for the duration of the ad.

Overall, though, points go to the Biden camp for a really powerful ad set against the backdrop of the pandemic and the George Floyd killing. The camp ran with the opening given them by Trump. The concluding summation, “Too scared to face the people, too small to meet the moment, too scared to lead,” packs a quiet wallop. The Biden camp knew when, and how to strike, and thus hit their target with precision.

Meanwhile, Trump’s ad relies on a loud WWE sort of narration, claiming that “Biden fails to stand up to the radical leftists fighting to defund and abolish the police.” (FTR, Biden has said that he would not defund the police.) Biden’s deference to the far left is contrasted with a “law and order” Trump, who stands up for, not just minority-owned businesses, but also for the American flag. It’s a pedestrian ad from the Trump camp. Nothing inspiring. Personally, I think it has an amateurish feel to it.

Interestingly, it was reported last week that the Trump campaign is considering dropping the relatively new “Keep America Great” campaign slogan:

The campaign to reelect Donald Trump is testing alternatives to the “Keep America Great” slogan, according to The Washington Post.

The shift to a less triumphant message follows the coronavirus pandemic and widespread protests at the death of George Floyd.

The recent economic downturn has also taken the shine off the slogan, as a strong economy had been one of the president’s key campaign messages.

According to sources cited by the Post, alternative ways of persuading the public are being discussed by key players within the campaign.

Here are a few of the recent slogans the campaign has tried out lately:

Transition to Greatness!
The Best Is Yet to Come
Great American Comeback
Promises Made, Promises Kept

–Dana

It is the second Sunday after Pentecost. Today’s Bach cantata is “Du Hirte Israel, höre: (You Shepherd of Israel, hear):

Today’s Gospel reading is Matthew 9:35-10:8, (9-23):

The Workers Are Few

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

“Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts — no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

The text of today’s piece is available here. It contains these words:

The Highest Shepherd watches over me,
what use are my worries?
Indeed every morning
is the Shepherd’s goodness renewed.
My heart, take hold of yourself,
God is faithful.

. . . .

Yes, this word is the nourishment of my soul,
a refreshment to my breast,
the pasture, which I call my delight,
the fortaste of heaven, indeed my all.
Ah! Only gather, o good Shepherd,
us poor and erring ones;
ah, let our journey soon reach an end
and lead us into your sheepfold!

. . . .

The Lord is my faithful shepherd,
to whom I entrust myself totally,
He leads me, His lamb, to pasture
in a lovely green meadow,
He leads me to fresh water,
to refresh my soul powerfully
through the blessed word of grace.

Happy listening! Soli Deo gloria.