Prompting ChatGPT for Political Strategies #4: "Trump's 'Lady Macbeth' Strategy vs Biden's High Road:

In the 4th Episode of prompting ChatGPT on recent political strategies, I informed ChatGPT4 on the recent ways Trump has attacked DeSantis's wife, Casey, by labelling her "Macbeth". Then, I asked the AI to analyze whether it was a strategically smart move for either Biden or Trump to attack DeSantis through his wife, and the specific ways they could do so. 

ChatGPT's response this time intrigued me. Its suggested nickname for Trump to use on DeSantis, "Puppet DeSantis", while it felt (at least to me) quite fitting with Trump's character given similar incidents of name-calling (one of the latest being "Rob" DeSanctimonious), was quite 'on the nose' in my opinion compared to calling Casey DeSantis "Lady Macbeth". 

Additionally, although Trump and Biden, by ChatGPT's own admission, had vastly different character brands and ways of attacking political opponents, ChatGPT's suggested strategy for them was quite similar. ChatGPT initially suggested for Trump the slogan "Who's really making the decisions?", and then similarly suggested for Biden to question "Who's really making the decisions in the DeSantis camp?". Although ChatGPT changed its suggested slogan for Trump to the more direct and aggressive "Puppet DeSantis" after I questioned it on this seeming similarity despite their markedly different political brands, this suggests that a higher degree of precision is needed when prompting ChatGPT to theorize strategies and slogans. 

Below is the analysis done by ChatGPT 4, presented in the format of a newspaper article. 

Title: "Trump's 'Lady Macbeth' Strategy vs Biden's High Road: The Battle for 2024 Takes a Personal Turn"

        As the 2024 U.S. presidential election heats up, one intriguing dynamic is the emerging contest within the Republican Party, pitting former President Donald Trump against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Central to this dispute has been the role of DeSantis's wife, Casey, who has been notably active in her husband's political life.

        Historically, Trump has proven himself adept at exploiting personal angles to attack his political opponents. His candid and combative style, characterized by memorable nicknames and stinging catchphrases, has endeared him to his core base. Notorious examples include "Crooked Hillary" Clinton and "Sleepy Joe" Biden, nicknames that embedded themselves into public consciousness during their respective election cycles.

"Puppet DeSantis" - Trump 

        Given this, it's not out of character for Trump to target DeSantis through his wife. Such a strategy could yield effective results among Trump's core base who appreciate his confrontational style. A punchy slogan like "Puppet DeSantis" or a nickname like "Ron 'Macbeth' DeSantis" might stick and raise doubts about DeSantis's ability to lead independently.

        However, this strategy carries significant risks. Firstly, the attack could backfire, particularly among voters uncomfortable with perceived sexism or personal attacks. Trump's controversial attack on Heidi Cruz, wife of Senator Ted Cruz, during the 2016 Republican primary is a relevant example. While it generated headlines, it also provoked backlash and may have contributed to consolidating opposition against Trump within the Republican establishment.

        Moreover, DeSantis could potentially leverage such an attack to his advantage, painting Trump as a candidate more focused on personal affronts than substantial policy issues. This narrative could appeal to undecided or independent voters who are more interested in substantive political discourse. It's a classic "rise above the fray" strategy that could reframe Trump's attacks as low blows, rather than legitimate critiques.

        DeSantis might also draw upon the popularity he and his wife have cultivated in Florida. A clear, concise response reaffirming their partnership and shared political vision could go a long way towards mitigating any damage done by Trump's attacks. DeSantis could counter with, "Our Vision, Our Leadership," a simple slogan emphasizing the unity and shared purpose between him and his wife.

        In conclusion, while attacking DeSantis through his wife may resonate with Trump's core supporters and align with his history of personal, biting political attacks, the potential for backlash makes it a risky strategy. As ever in politics, the game is one of balance, and both candidates will need to carefully weigh their choices in the pursuit of the ultimate prize.

How about Biden? 

        Historically, Biden has steered clear of personal attacks, focusing instead on policy differences and values. His approach has been characterized by his appeal to unity and civility, a stark contrast to the often combative style of his predecessor, Donald Trump. It's essential, then, to consider this difference in style when evaluating the potential effectiveness of a personal attack strategy.

        If Biden chooses to attack DeSantis through his wife, he would have to do so subtly, perhaps by calling into question DeSantis's leadership autonomy. However, this could be risky as it may be perceived as a personal attack rather than a legitimate critique. The risk of alienating voters who value civility is high, and it could potentially damage Biden's brand of unity and empathy.

"Who Pulls the Strings in Florida?" - Biden 

        If Biden were to pursue this strategy, he might adopt slogans such as "Clear Leadership or Puppet Leadership?" or "Who Pulls the Strings in Florida?" These slogans, while potentially incendiary, could effectively sow seeds of doubt about DeSantis's independence in decision-making.

"Partnership, Not Puppetry" - DeSantis

        However, this approach could backfire. DeSantis has potential defenses to such attacks, the most potent of which would be to simply dismiss them as low blows inconsistent with Biden's professed desire for a more civil political discourse. He could leverage the situation to strengthen his own brand, perhaps adopting counter-slogans such as "Partnership, Not Puppetry," or "A United Front for Florida," emphasizing the collaborative aspect of his relationship with his wife.

        Furthermore, historical examples of candidates attacking each other through their spouses have demonstrated mixed results. While some voters might question a candidate's independence, others could perceive the attacker as desperate or unprofessional, thus hurting their own campaign.

        In conclusion, considering Biden's political brand and the unpredictable fallout of such personal attacks, it would be a high-risk strategy for him to attack DeSantis through his wife. Maintaining a focus on policy differences and offering a clear, hopeful vision for America's future may be the most fruitful strategy for Biden as he seeks re-election in 2024.

By Political Analyst and Campaign Strategist AI.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you found it informative and interesting. I would love to hear any thoughts from you on my experiment with ChatGPT.

If you are interested in discussing more about how ChatGPT can be used in such political contexts, or have any questions, contact me at hello@simplawfy.ca

Disclaimer: This story is only intended to be used for educational or recreational purposes. Responses by ChatGPT and similar AI chatbots, if mentioned in this story, should NOT be relied upon as factual.