The popularity of Donald Trump in the UK versus Kamala Harris needs no explanation. According to a poll by YouGov, conducted on 6 September, Harris outstrips Trump 61% to 19% in the election stakes.
The results show Harris beats her Republican rival across regions, gender, and age gaps. The only exception is by political affiliation in which Reform UK voters support her rival 57% over 25% respectively.
The US Secret Service have said the counting and certification of electoral votes on 6 Jan next year will be a National Special Security Event. It will be as secure as the Presidential Inauguration.
The chaotic scenes on 6 Jan 2021 are said to have inspired the new measure. The aim is to secure Washington DC in the event of a disturbance following this year’s election.
The fundraising stats for Trump and Harris shows a stark contrast in the two campaigns so far.
Harris raised just over $480 million since January 01 2023 until July 31 this year. In contrast Trump raised just over $260 million since January 01 2023 until August 08 this year. It’s a sum over $220 million.
In light of the fact Trump has run for longer than Harris it doesn’t reflect well for the Republican candidate.
Kamala Harris debated Donald Trump last night in an encounter televised on American television. The network who carried the debate, ABC, fielded two journalists as anchors for the 90 minute showdown between the top Democrat and Republican candidates.
The night had highs and lows throughout. Harris majored on her experience with people while Trump decried a lack of justice for the ordinary American. At times the two clashed over their respective assessments of the state of the country at large.
Donald Trump spoke to a Fox News host, Sean Hannity, on Wednesday about his run for the White House. It’s clear he still feels riled by illegal immigration and thinks it’s a big issue for Americans at large.
“It’s not that different. It’s still about the forgotten man and the forgotten woman. People are being treated horribly in this country. We’re a country that’s being laughed at all over the world, and I’ll be honest, if Joe Biden would be a great President I would be happier than being the worst President in the history of our country, because I want to see what’s good for the country.”
In context he’s now run three times (counting this year) and his talking points are still the same. In fact they run closely to media reports about the Southern border as well as crime and disorder.
The issues that matter over the pond are crucial to understanding what this election is all about. It’s no secret which these are. Trump and Harris have both highlighted which they think to be the most important.
According to Redfield & Wilton Strategies, there are obvious issues bubbling under the surface of American politics. They’ve identified around half of all voters are worried about the same things.
“Around half of all voters in each state consider election integrity (52% to 60%), taxation (48% to 55%), illegal immigration (42% to 54%), abortion (48% to 53%), and policing/crime (44% to 52%) as ‘extremely’ important in determining their vote.”
Politicians talking about things doesn’t always get a good rap, but it feels like they’re aiming at the right issues. Proposals are the key factor in this election and who is likely to make inroads on the issues.
Donald Trump has hit back at Kamala Harris over remarks she made yesterday about a visit to Arlington National Cemetery.
Staff on Trump’s campaign team were allegedly confronted by staff at the cemetery.
Harris reiterated quotes and statements he’s made to challenge his record of support for veterans.
“This is a man who is unable to comprehend anything other than service to himself. If there is one thing on which we as Americans can all agree, it is that our veterans, military families, and service members should be honored, never disparaged, and treated with nothing less than our highest respect and gratitude.”
In response Trump has released videos of family members of veterans that contradict her claims.
Donald Trump is seeking to build on in-person rallies with a pre-election recruitment drive. His initiative is Trump Force 47 and it’s aimed at his supporters being volunteers.
It’s not just their money he wants but their time also.
He’s offering a chance to be a “Trump Captain” to boost his support in local communities in America. He also wants people interested in being a “Poll Watcher” to ensure it’s free and fair.
It looks more like a political draft than a play in the park.
Choosing a running mate has become a side serving alongside the staple of an American election in recent years. It’s a novelty that turns into a reality much later on but it’s a bolt of lightning if the right move is made.
Trump has chosen JD Vance, who came as a surprise but he’s slotted in by a continuation of his folksy appeal. He’s shown charm meeting with ordinary voters, and has an off-pitch energy which connects with people.
Kamala Harris has chosen Tim Walz, who strode on stage with pizzaz at the DNC. He pumped the room with energy for their campaign and has helped to instil a sense of optimism in their plans for election.
The Republican Party is dominated by strong figures, historic moments, and large policy programs. It isn’t easy to shake the shadows of the past and any candidate has large boots to fill.
However, sharing power with the Democrat party makes it easier to juggle expectations because of the reality of mistakes. The truth is parties leave legacies for each other, and these often define what it is.
In recent times Donald Trump has campaigned off the faults of President Obama, as well as the record of President Biden during his term. The idea is to not make policy too fine a point in a campaign.
In departing from the Biden era of spend, spend, spend Harris is taking a dip into the middle class politics of America.
Her campaign theme is an “opportunity economy” and it reflects in lower taxes for middle income families, greater mortgage take up, and furnishing a lifestyle that brings about the American dream through ownership and by enterprise.
These are simple ideas but carry a strong Democrat message. It doesn’t however reassure voters about the national debt or provide implicit reassurance about hiring, as it were.
The losers are above and below the belt of Harris’ middle America.
Kamala Harris, the Democrat Presidential candidate, has jettisoned her campaign beyond its uncertain beginnings. If the exit of Joe Biden came as a surprise, the shock is a surge of support for Harris.
However, her political career only took a form as she became the first female Vice President in American history. She served an administration that prioritised public spending and her campaign is focused on the needs of middle income families.
The background of a candidate like this is of interest, and since pundits usually look for credibility to meet plaudits head-on, it’s worth looking at what there is to rely on.
Harris is daughter to Donald J Harris, a Stanford economist who is also highly praised for his work in Jamaica. Her sister is a lawyer and former advisor in the Democrat party. It’s not a bad start, to be clear.
Any belief in a candidacy does not rely solely on family, but it helps make it believable if a message is based along similar lines. The Harris family may have achieved their goals, but the real test is in the trust of America. Let’s see if they vote, and believe.
Kamala Harris is running on a ticket that promotes her gender, race, and background as selling points. If she wins, she’ll be the first female President in its history. It alone is a notable feature of the election race.
Yet the issue is how her background influences her politics and what it now means for Americans. Harris says she grew up in a rented home and her mother brought their first house as a teenager.
Her idea is to make it possible for more Americans to copy this example. Her key promise is to give $25,000 to help first time buyers. However, to have a home involves more than a one-off payment, as it were.
Her other proposals include tax reliefs for families and lowering prices by penalising “price gouging” to ease a cost of living crisis. It would appear such ideas might plug a gap in her plan to help more Americans.
The outcome of these proposals is set on a backdrop of debt for college-educated Americans, as well as a need for more jobs to be created. In appealing to the American middle class Harris has set herself a hard task.
In popular terms, Kamala Harris is seeing her candidacy struggle.
In a poll for UK-based Redfield and Wilton Strategies, which is accredited both sides of the Atlantic, her lead has narrowed to just 1% over Donald Trump.
The major issue this election is the economy, and Harris has majored on it during her recent campaign events. However it’s territory Trump has covered extensively before.
The next top issue is the cost of healthcare, a perennial issue in American politics, which 57% feel is part of their voting considerations. The post-pandemic world isn’t one that has left behind this issue.
The narrow lead in the polls may push Harris down to the wire.