But perhaps the biggest sign of an expanded Democratic map is the signals coming out of the Trump campaign as he finds himself in places like Macon rather than trying to expend resources in states Hillary Clinton won in 2016.
The subtle shift in thinking among some Democrats that the goal for Election Day should not only be to defeat Mr. Trump but do so by a large margin is about setting the tone for the post-Trump era.
A crushing Electoral College victory, the thinking goes, would deliver an unmistakable rejection of Mr. Trumps political brand and minimize the impact of Mr. Trumps rhetorical war against mail-in ballots and any attempts to undermine the legitimacy of the election.
Mr. Biden, a cautious moderate, without the limitless charisma of President Obama, who has portrayed himself as more a transitional figure than a transformative one, might seem an unlikely figure to produce a political tsunami. He has balked at progressive litmus test issues such as the Green New Deal or expanding the number of Supreme Court justices.
But Waleed Shahid, a spokesman for Justice Democrats, which seeks to add left-wing Democrats to Congress by challenging more moderate incumbents, said his group is at peace with Mr. Bidens current positioning; the goal is to create a movement so vast that Mr. Biden has to shift his thinking. This election is the first step, he said.
Lincoln was not an abolitionist, F.D.R. not a socialist or trade unionist, and L.B.J. not a civil rights activist, Mr. Shahid said. Three of the most transformative presidents never fully embraced the movements of their time, and yet the movements won because they organized and shaped public opinion.read more
A Biden Landslide? Some Democrats Can’t Help Whispering
