100 Days to Victory: US Election Heats Up in Final Stretch
US Vice Presidennt Kamala Harris
The Final Sprint Begins
The final 100 days of the US election began Sunday. This marks the last stage of a campaign transformed by an assassination attempt and President Joe Biden’s stunning exit.
Democrats Rally Behind Harris
After weeks of infighting over Biden’s candidacy, Democrats now support Vice President Kamala Harris. This has radically reshaped the race to November 5, which was fast becoming Republican nominee Donald Trump’s to lose.
Harris’s candidacy has reinvigorated her party’s campaign. The campaign announced Sunday it had raised $200 million, mostly from first-time donors, since Biden dropped out and endorsed Harris a week ago.
Polls Show a Tight Race
A new Wall Street Journal poll showed Harris closed Biden’s six-point deficit with Trump to just two points. This is well within the margin of error. Harris gained boosted support from Black, Latino, and young voters.
Republicans Cautiously Optimistic
Republican pollster David Lee cautioned Democrats not to get carried away by the tightening race. “Donald Trump is in a far better position in this election compared to a similar time in the 2020 election,” Lee said.
Even if the race is a dead heat nationally, the advantage still lies with Trump. This is due to the mathematics of the Electoral College system for electing the president. Trump won in 2016 despite losing the nationwide popular vote by nearly three million ballots.
Harris Admits Underdog Status
“We are the underdogs in this race,” Harris acknowledged at a fundraising event on Saturday. “But this is a people-powered campaign and we have momentum,” she added.
Former Vice President Al Gore joined the parade of high-profile Democrats endorsing Harris on Sunday. He emphasized her record on the environment.
Democratic Convention Plans
The Democratic convention in mid-August aims to maintain Harris’s momentum with a jubilant celebration of her candidacy. Just a month ago, things looked very different.
Dogged by voters’ concerns about his age and mental acuity, the 81-year-old Biden was an outside bet at best. He trailed his predecessor in the first presidential election rematch since Dwight Eisenhower trounced Adlai Stevenson in 1956.
Biden Bows Out
Biden’s dismal June 27 debate performance ignited alarm within his party. A flawless show of unity behind 78-year-old Trump at the Republican National Convention further fanned the flames. This event was galvanized by a gunman’s failed bid to assassinate Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania.
After an initial show of defiance, Biden bowed to the inevitable and dropped out of the race a week ago. Harris, a generation younger at 59, then threw her hat in the ring. This turned what had been a stale contest between two unpopular, aging, white male candidates into a dynamic showdown.
Targeting Battleground States
The final result on November 5 will likely be determined by around 100,000 independent, undecided voters. These voters reside in a handful of battleground states that both campaigns will target exhaustively over the coming three months.
The Harris Honeymoon
The challenge for Harris is substantial. Once the Republicans adapt to her candidacy and hone their attack lines, they will hammer her over key voter issues such as immigration and rising prices.
Preparing for the Storm
Democratic strategist James Carville told MSNBC that Democrats needed to prepare for the coming storm. “They’re coming at us and they’re going to keep coming,” he said. “And this kind of giddy elation is not going to be very helpful much longer.”
Obama Cautions Against Hubris
Even former President Barack Obama has cautioned against hubris. He underlined Harris’s underdog status and the need for her to earn the trust of voters.
Trump’s Attack Priorities
Trump, who has seen his favorability ratings tick upward since the July 13 attempt on his life and the successful Republican convention, made his attack priorities clear at a rally Saturday in Minnesota.
Targeting Harris
Labeling Harris a “crazy liberal” and a “radical left lunatic,” Trump aimed to paint her as an extremist on abortion and mocked her laugh. “We have a brand new victim,” he told his cheering supporters.
The Road Ahead
The next 100 days promise to be a turbulent and unpredictable ride. Both campaigns will pull out all the stops to win over undecided voters in crucial battleground states. The stakes are higher than ever, and the outcome remains uncertain.
As the election enters its final sprint, the nation watches with bated breath. The battle lines are drawn, and the candidates are ready. The next three months will determine the future of the United States.
For more details on the candidates, visit Kamala Harris’s official site and Donald Trump’s official site.
Stay updated with current election news from The New York Times.
