Masked or unmasked?

This weekend, President Trump is planning to hold a campaign rally in Tulsa, with thousands of fervent supporters crammed inside a sports arena.

The local paper, the Tulsa World, urged him not to come, saying it was the “wrong time” and the “wrong place” to stage an event that could cause a spike in COVID-19 cases. Bruce Dart, the city’s chief health officer, warned the crowd could ignite a “perfect storm” of conditions to spread the virus.

Last week, Joe Biden traveled to Houston and met privately with the family of George Floyd, the black man killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis. He didn’t attend the funeral in person, but addressed the gathering by video, directing remarks to Floyd’s 6-year-old daughter, Gianna.

“I know you have a lot of questions, honey,” he told her. “No child should have to ask questions that too many black children have had to ask for generations: ‘Why? Why is Daddy gone?’”

The presidential campaign has reached an inflection point, with both candidates emerging from pandemic-enforced isolation and road-testing how they will appeal to voters in the fall.

Trump fancies himself The Warrior, relishing huge public rallies where he can whip up his supporters, dress down his enemies and foment the civil strife he believes will deliver a second term. His vision of America pits Us against Them, True Trumpsters against The Others.

Biden wants to be The Healer, who patches up wounds instead of ripping open scars. His message is steady and sensible, not bold and brash. His trip to Houston embodied one of the presidency’s primary roles: consoler-in-chief, a mission Trump has never understood or embraced.

Try to imagine this president speaking tenderly to a bereaved 6-year-old girl. It’s totally impossible, and many Americans know that. In the latest Abc/washington Post poll, only 38 percent said Trump has the “personality and temperament” to be a good president, while 53 percent said Biden possesses those qualities.

And even though the president trails Biden by an average of about 8 points in national polls, he enjoys a sizable enthusiasm edge over his rival that’s symbolized by those boisterous campaign events. If you can’t visualize Trump consoling a 6-year-old girl, it’s also hard to picture Biden sending a large crowd into a frenzy.

Think of it this way: Biden is wearing a mask, while Trump remains unmasked. Those two images reflect dueling campaign strategies that will unfold over the next four months.