The latest polling in the United States points to a dead heat between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump with just three weeks to go until election day. A new NBC News poll has seen former President Trump pull even with Vice President Harris at 48% each – in the national poll with the Republican closing the slight advantage.
An average of all the latest polls still gives Harris a slight edge nationally, while the outlook in the key swing states – that are likely to determine the electoral outcome – reflects a similar split in the electorate.
The NBC national poll points to a race that is deadlocked with Harris’ momentum slowing down in recent weeks – after her initial surge following the exit of incumbent President, Joe Biden. Dr Darrel M. West is a senior fellow at Washington D.C.-based think-tank The Brookings Institution.
“The stakes of this election are very high. America is divided into two tribes. Neither tribe trusts the other tribe. They’re very suspicious of the motives. They think the other side wants to destroy the kind of America that they love.
Harris in North Carolina
From the top issues such as the economy to abortion to immigration or America’s democracy, the two major party nominees have vastly different views – as they focus their time in the swing states and the small slither of votes that are likely to decide, which candidate wins the electoral college and the White House as Harris did in North Carolina on Sunday.
“We are nearing the homestretch. We are nearing the homestretch. Now listen, let me just say, that I know we are really excited to see each other. I couldn’t be more excited to see everybody here, but I’m going to tell you, it’s going to be a tight race – until the very end. And we are running as the underdog, so we have some hard work ahead of us, but we like hard work. Hard work is good work. And with your help in 23 days, we will win. We will win. We will win.”
Trump in Arizona
Or Trump who was in Arizona this weekend – a reliable Republic state that went blue for the first time in 24 years when Biden clinched it in the last election.
“If Kamala (Harris) gets four more years, the entire country will be turned into a migrant camp. And that’s what’s happening. Millions and millions of people. When I win on November 5th, the migrant invasion ends and the restoration of our country begins.”
Americans grapple with different issues depending on their geographic location, their economic standing and their emotional connection to each nominee – as Dr Darrel West explains.
“Historically, the economy has been the biggest factor affecting elections. Pocketbook issues and cost of living are things that people care about. It affects their day-to-day lives. It affects what happens to their families and their children, so that factor is very important.”
But that’s not the only issue that will determine which candidate will edge ahead in November.
“One of the top issues in this election that favours Republicans is immigration policy. People are worried about the border. They think too many undocumented individuals are coming over the border, drawing on American resources, taking jobs, and relying on social services. They don’t like this, and this has been a big plus for former President Trump. On the Democratic side, abortion and reproductive rights in general have been a great issue for Democrats. The majority of Americans are on the side of Kamala Harris on that particular issue. Many women are concerned about being able to control their own healthcare decisions. So we have a situation where immigration and reproductive rights are very important issues to voters, but they cut in very different ways with one issue favoring Republicans and the other issue favoring Democrats,” Dr West further stresses.
No clear front-runner
What’s evident is that there is no clear front-runner in this race, Harris has a lead here, and Trump has a lead there, leaving it to the voters to provide clarity.
Early voting is already underway in several states – a popular option that saw more than 100 million people cast ballots by mail or in person ahead of election day in 2020 – given that the coronavirus pandemic was in full swing four years ago.
And while the outcome won’t be known for some time, the sense of anxiety on both sides of the political divide is palpable in a context of hyper-partisanship that has become emblematic of US election in recent times – where the margins for any victory are expected to be very slim – and a photo finish that could literally decide, who becomes the next US President.
Source: BBC
In other news – Benjamin Mendy borrowed money from Man City teammates for legal fees
Former Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy borrowed money from teammates for legal fees and child support after he was charged with sexual offences, an employment tribunal heard on Monday.
Mendy is claiming £11.5 million ($15 million) in unpaid wages by the Premier League champions, who stopped paying him after he was charged with rape and sexual assault in 2021. Read more
