We all remember the pre-July 21 world – a time when Joe Biden was considered the contestant in this race – the race of politics. Remember that? Most certainly, the scales were heavily tipped against Biden. The gap wasn’t a meager one either, it was quite noticeable, not just in the national popular vote, but also on an individual state level, especially in the battleground states like Georgia and Nevada.
Interestingly, as Kamala Harris joined the race, we all experienced a shift. A shift towards Harris, that is. Specifically speaking, the numbers indicated a four- or five-point shift in those aforementioned battleground states, effectively mirroring what we were observing in the national polls.
Notice that this shift did not alter the state of affairs significantly, it is not as if states that previously favored Trump transformed overnight into territories that favored Harris. No. The reality is that the only implication of this shift is that the race isn’t as heavily skewed in Trump’s favor as it was back in late July. Which isn’t much of a difference, don’t you think? Hence, we’re still considering this race as a tossup.
Talking about important matters, it is critical to note the changes that have occurred in the three weeks following Kamal Harris’s entrance in this high-stakes contest. If we take Republicans as a fully formed football team, with team members out on the field in their full strength, Democrats seemed like a team with only around 70% of their total strength.
Enter Harris – her entrance infused a new surge of enthusiasm, of energy. The utterances of belief that traveled across battleground states whenever she campaigned are testimonies to the newfound spirit in the Democratic line-up. Both sides looked well-matched, every move commenced a battle – sometimes of inches, at other times of yards.
In this hair-to-hair match, any minor lapse like a fumble could have resulted in the tip of the scales. It could also have ended with one candidate getting a last-minute surge. Still, let’s not get ahead of ourselves and ponder for a moment about the battle to define the Harris/Walz ticket. A name relatively unfamiliar to most.
Even the vice president had scarce recognition, holding in her arsenal only the assumption of coming in with all the same baggage as Biden. The tide, however, appears to be shifting slightly in her favor as her popularity numbers have shown a ten-point increase. Earlier, her identity seemed more tied to opinions of Biden than an individual identity.
The fortunate turn of events for the relatively unknown faces brings good tidings, as they have managed to shake off the baggages that came along with Biden. Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean all’s well. Republicans are leaving no stone unturned to portray Harris as a dangerously liberal persona. They vehemently criticize her, primarily for her stands on border issues and police reforms.
They also do not refrain from pointing out her shift to the left during the 2020 campaign on certain issues. This constant effort to portray Harris as a potential threat is part of the bigger picture that aims at swaying the voters towards a different perspective.
The Democrats, on the other hand, are focusing on sharing Harris’s story post-DNC period. Amidst all this, it’s primarily the Republicans making the case about who they would like voters to perceive her as. A strategy game, indeed, where every move is calculated, every action subtly full of implications.
Every game has its players, and every player has their strategies. The Republicans and Democrats are no different, each putting forth their strong suit, both sides trying to outplay the other.
After all, politics is essentially a strategic battlefield where each action, each decision could dictate the future of the race. An exciting battle of inches, yards, and massive leaps, destined to take unexpected turns as time continues to unfold.
Harris Struggles to Match Trump’s Popularity Despite Brief Surge appeared first on Real News Now.