There’s been a whirlwind of political activity in recent months following the first presidential debate between the incumbent, Joe Biden, and the predecessor, Donald Trump, in June. During this period, Trump secured the delegate vote at the Republican National Convention and picked his GOP vice-presidential candidate, Ohio’s formidable Senator JD Vance. As for the possibility of a Trump-Harris debate, that remains up in the air at this point.
Here’s a potential sketch of the future presidential debate timeline and likely structure. Initially, the clash of Trump vs. Biden was set to broadcast on ABC on September 10. However, in typical Trump fashion, he has expressed questionable interest in debating any Democratic candidates that might substitutes Biden, referencing his sporadic posts on Truth Social.
Trump’s answer to the debate question in a CBS News interview was markedly vague: ‘I don’t know who I’m going to debate. So far, we haven’t determined who is going to be on that side. But I think whoever it is, I’d like to debate. Yeah, sure.’ Such equivocation is nothing new when it comes to Trump, always keeping his opponents guessing.
On the flip side, Kamala Harris would need an official nomination as the candidate during the Democratic National Convention. Here, party delegates from all over the United States and territories will cast their vote for the official Democratic candidate for the 2024 presidential battle. Biden gathered 3,896 delegate votes from across the United States during his time.
Interestingly, these delegates can pick someone other than Biden to represent the party, even if he took the victory in their states’ primaries. Such a twist could be facilitated by an often overlooked section in the DNC regulations called the ‘good conscience’ clause – under Rule 13 (J), which lets delegates abstain from voting for a candidate that won the primaries in their state.
The ‘good conscience’ clause has these words: ‘Delegates elected to the national convention pledged to a presidential candidate shall in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them.’ This clause, dating back to the 1980s, grants DNC delegates the flexibility to select a candidate who they believe truly resonates with their beliefs, regardless of who won the state primary.
Current VP Harris doesn’t have any significant connections with the Sunshine State, despite having conducted a few campaigns in the area. She’s been sighted in Jacksonville a couple of times at events that prominently featured a colossal pandemic relief bill, exhibited grievances about Florida’s approach towards teaching Black history, and lamented the increasing hurdles to access abortion in Florida.
Harris made her most recent journey to Florida in May, where she voiced her opposition to the state’s six-week abortion ban. She didn’t hesitate to connect the tightening restrictions in various states, including Florida, to her political rival, former President Trump. While she may be active in criticizing policies, it doesn’t seem to be improving her acceptance rate among the public.
As of Monday, July 22, Harris’ approval rating, as reported by FiveThirtyEight, was barely over a third, standing at 38.6 percent. Meanwhile, her disapproval rating soared above halfway, at 50.4 percent. These figures serve as a stark reminder of her less than impressive performance and popularity.
Prior to Biden’s withdrawal from the race, there was a lack of commitment from Trump’s campaign to confirm a date for the vice-presidential debate. This hesitation, according to USA TODAY reports, was caused by the uncertainty over which candidate would appear on the ticket.
Trump, instead, focused on his own strategy regarding vice-presidential candidates, and selected JD (James David) Vance, 39. Vance, previously a public affairs officer in the Marine Corps in Iraq, made it to the U.S. Senate in 2022. In addition to his political feats, he is renowned for his 2016 best-selling memoir, ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ which was transformed into a movie starring Amy Adams and Glenn Close in 2020.
The Democratic National Convention is slated to take place in Chicago, kicking off on Monday, August 19. The proceedings are expected to wrap up on Thursday, August 22. While the name of the official Democratic candidate is yet to be determined, it’s clear that the Democrats have some ground to cover, considering the less than encouraging approval numbers.
In light of upcoming events, it’s clear the stakes are high on the political landscape. The Democrats will need to rally together, rethink their strategies, and select a compelling and commanding candidate that can reinvigorate their national standing. Floundering approval ratings for their key figures, like Harris, suggest they’ve got some soul-searching to do.
Overall, the path ahead seems uncertain for the Democrats. Their situation is not helped by the lukewarm public perception of their key figures. Whatever the future holds, it’s sure to be a spectacle as we watch every twist and turn of this political race, with each party trying to outmaneuver the other.
Approval Ratings for Dems’ Key Figures Hassle for 2024 appeared first on Real News Now.