My colleague, James Williams, an Atlanta, Georgia political junkie, made an astute observation. He posits that Biden could squeeze out a win if he could generate a Black male turnout equivalent to that of Black females in the key battleground states in 2020. Had that occurred in 2016, we would have avoided the political devastation of the blonde bomber, Donald Trump.

With an equal turnout in Miami, Florida; Detroit and Lansing, Michigan; Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2016, Hillary Clinton would have comfortably won the race. This population remains lukewarm towards Biden as we approach the last laps of the 2020 election. Despite his genuine expressions of empathy for unarmed Black men killed by the police, he is not resonating with them to the required degree.

Thus, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Democratic donors, and other Democratic activists are right in their criticisms of Biden’s outreach to the base and his need to respond to and press Trump on every issue that he raises. Biden needs to continually exploit Trump’s continued mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the aftermath of Bob Woodward’s tapes of Trump’s admitted miscues.

As the Biden campaign comes down the final stretch of the race, it is imperative that they monitor and anticipate Trump’s increasingly erratic and desperate political actions and maintain a daily update on voter mobilization efforts in all the contested states. Then they will be able to determine whether the campaign is in the necessary position for the desired voter turnout via mail, early voting, and Election Day activity.

Although current polls show that Trump’s scare tactics of increasing violence, Biden’s purported call for defunding the police, and the lack of law and order in the nation’s Democratically-controlled cities are not working, Biden and Harris must counter these lies aggressively. The print and broadcast media are fact-checking these lies, but the candidates need to address them directly.

Trump’s advantage is that he continually reinforces his lies in his political ads and daily press messaging irrespective of the stated occasion. With free media that he regularly bends to his political will, Trump is reaching his base and those who are sitting on the fence this time around while considering whether they will vote for him again. The repeated lies are having an impact.

To close the deal, Biden and Harris must frequently be physically present in the battleground states. I am reminded of the late Black Harlem Congressman, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., a revered politician, who lost his last race because he did not visit his constituents during the last weeks of his campaign. Biden and Harris need more face time with their supporters.

The Biden campaign must also prepare for Trump’s finishing onslaught of campaign disinformation, which is giving some of its less enthusiastic backers pause. For example, a TV ad showing a retired Black male police officer who states that his daughter was killed by a violent street gang because her father was a cop is attracting suburbanites.

As the race tightens in Florida, we hope that the Biden campaign’s continued employment of old-line political tactics will not squander former Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s recent $100 million contribution to engage the Latinx community.

It also needs to make peace with young progressives of every race, gender, religious, and sexual orientation who have yet to commit to voting for the Biden-Harris ticket in large numbers.

This enduring omission could prove critical in the contested states as it did in 2016. Bernie Sanders has sounded the alarm, but it is not at all clear that the Biden campaign is listening. Again, there needs to be a focus on face-to-face contact and digital, print, and broadcast ads. On-the-ground initiatives need to be central in the finishing stages of the race.

Meanwhile, Biden needs to be well-prepared for the upcoming presidential debate on September 29th. His performance could dispel or affirm the wild accusations that Trump has lodged against him. The outcome could possibly determine the results of the election as the first Carter-Reagan debate derailed Carter’s reelection in 1980. Those who do not acknowledge history are doomed to repeat it.

Therefore, it is vital that the Biden-Harris campaign make the necessary adjustments as it turns the final corner. Biden must also make time for the ABC News’ offer to host a town hall meeting with undecided voters which he has rejected so far. Trump participated last Tuesday night and fumbled and lied so badly that the host, George Stephanopoulos, stopped him in mid-sentence to fact-check several of his misstatements.

Biden needs to be prepared to do the same when they debate at the end of the month. Trump easily lies so often and with such conviction that he comes across as convincing to many voters, especially those who are not paying close attention. Biden will have ample opportunity to correct him forcefully in prime time. He must remain poised to seize the moment and powerfully condemn and chastise Trump when the occasion presents itself, which it surely will.

The question remains, however, as to whether Biden can close the deal. He and his VP running mate must make their case compellingly to assure their base and the electorate that they are best to lead this nation. Despite the rosy polls that have been in their favor, they still have to make their case. It is up to them to do that.