The United States presidential election of 2024 is around the corner. It is a big opportunity for Americans to exercise their right to vote and choose a competent president. Since July 4, 1776, the U.S. worked on political stability, and as a result, emerged from a handful of scrawny colonies to one of the world’s superpowers.
Thanks to all the presidents for participating in national and international affairs and contributing to its growth. Because of their contributions, the U.S. has attained representative democracy where people freely vote for government officials. Now, it is time to vote again!
The two rivals, namely the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, are gearing up to join the race for elective office. The first candidate is Kamala Harris from the Democratic Party, and the second is Donald Trump from the Republican Party.
Let’s look into their respective profiles.
Kamala Harris is the 49th and current vice president of the U.S. Under the current president of the U.S., Joe Biden, and being a prominent member of the Democratic Party, Harris has made tremendous progress. She is running for office in the 2024 presidential election and has been vocal about her plans for the country.
Before her vice presidency, she was a U.S. senator from 2017 to 2021. As a senator, she worked towards the following six things:
Harris was a strong proponent of bills that aimed at reducing hunger and improving food security for vulnerable populations. It was during COVID-19 that she expressed her strong views on food insecurity and social distancing.
Again, during COVID-19, Harris focused on the legislation that provided rent relief to those crossing swords with housing costs. She first presented the bill in 2018 through the Rent Relief Act, offering tax credits to renters who earned less than $100,000 and spent more than 30% of their income on rent and utilities.
In 99% of counties in America, a person working a full-time job at the minimum wage can’t afford a 1-bedroom apartment. This is a crisis and folks deserve solutions. pic.twitter.com/W5SUlRrsG7
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) July 23, 2018
Harris advocated for women and babies at a large scale. She introduced and supported measures to enrich maternal healthcare. Nowadays, she still agitates for the country’s dreadful maternal mortality rate.
She backed small businesses, stressing their importance and pros to America. Last year, she stated she would expand access to capital for small businesses, particularly minority-owned businesses.
She championed the sustainable and resilient development of the country’s infrastructure. The Biden-Harris administration passed a considerable investment of $1 trillion for infrastructure, primarily revamping bridges, procuring new public transport, and restoring water pipelines.
She was active in promoting legislation to address and tackle environmental degradation. In 2019, Harris revealed a $10 trillion climate plan. On the strength of this plan, she intends to achieve “carbon neutrality” by 2045.
Who does not know Donald Trump? He assumed the role of the 45th president of the U.S. from 2017 to 2021. As of today, he is an integral part of the Republican Party, though his political career shows a lot of diversity. Trump is popularly known as a successful businessman and joined politics in 1987 by registering as a Republican in Manhattan.
He merged with the Democratic Party in 2001; however, he realized he had different goals and decided to rejoin the Republican Party in 2009. He is a contender against Kamala Harris in the upcoming presidential election.
As an American president, Trump concentrated on the following seven things:
He gave a tax break to businesses and people over the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act 2017 to enhance economic growth. Trump devoted his attention to deregulation for businesses.
He renegotiated certain trade agreements, including the famous United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). In addition, he imposed tariffs on Chinese goods to deal with trade imbalances.
It was one of Trump’s eminent steps to reinforce border security, prioritizing the construction of a border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Due to his outspokenness regarding the wall, it is sometimes called the Trump Wall. He faced harsh repercussions because of the construction, leading to a government shutdown for 35 days.
Ultimately, he prevailed and the wall was built. The reason behind scaling up the wall was to resolve the issue of unauthorized immigration.
“Illegal crossings plummeted by over 87 percent where the wall has been constructed,”a report submitted.
Trump highlighted the judicial system and appointed 3 Supreme Court justices and 230 federal judges. Positions in the Courts of Appeals of the U.S. were vacant for ages, and he filled the vacancies, confirming 54 judges.
The Trump administration amplified the gravity of “America First” policies and withdrew agreements like the Paris Climate Accord and the Iran nuclear deal. He additionally engaged in direct diplomacy with North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong Un to retain friendly terms.
Trump was in sedulous pursuit of drug price reduction. Plus, he sought to amend the Medicare program in the country by making it flexible, especially for senior citizens.
Finally, yet importantly, Trump strived to increase the country’s defense budget. In doing so, he set his sights on recuperating the veteran care.
Given the nature of the candidates’ profiles, there are a few aspects of the campaigns to consider. News agency companies such as Reuters have unveiled their interpretations.
Let’s get right to the analysis.
The Ipsos poll discloses Harris coming forward with a 2% lead over Trump. 44% of respondents said they would vote for Harris while 42% favored Trump. The polling data suggests Harris has a slight lead, but the margin is close.
On the 1st and 2nd of July, Trump had the advantage of 1%, with him at 44% and Harris at 43%. Subsequently, on the 15th and 16th of July, it was a tie, with both candidates having the support of 44% of respondents.
The 1-2 July result was interesting as Trump had a 1% lead over Harris. Reuters refers to it as “within the same margin of error”. What it means is that the differences in the poll results are small enough that they could be a consequence of sample variability instead of true differences in voter preference.
Sample variability represents differences in surveys, with results changing after each survey. In this case, the margin changes, with Trump having a 1% lead over Harris on 1-2 July, and results ending in a standoff on 15-16 July. As we speak, Harris has a 2% lead over Trump. See the fluctuation?
In short, the competition is fierce!
According to the Financial Times, Harris has secured adequate delegates to succeed Joe Biden. Though he is out of the election race as the presidential candidate, the question of Harris’ prospect to oppose Trump remains.
On the 23rd of July, the political market PredictIt exhibited a higher probability of Harris’ victory, going from 40% to 43%. On the other hand, the likelihood of Trump’s victory decreased from 58% to 55%.
Financial Times has manifested the significance of swing states and voter turnout. A swing state is a U.S. state where two political parties have equal voters’ support. Despite the changing numbers, Harris and Trump are in an extremely competitive struggle for the presidency, drawing similar levels of support.
The New York Times laid bare some crucial information concerning the two swing states: Pennsylvania and Virginia. The fresh swing state polls implied a minute 1% drop in Harris’ support in the swing state of Pennsylvania. Nevertheless, she gained the upper hand and marched with a prosperous 5% point in Virginia.
While the candidates are in a battle of administration, they must solidify their stance. In other words, Harris must expand her support within the Democratic base, and Trump must overcome his legal and political controversies.
The coverage of NPR explores a broader electoral landscape. The nomination of Harris was established by way of consensus. 87% of Americans thought it was wise of Biden not to run for reelection whereas 68% believed he should have completed his tenure. Whatever the case, he was thrilled to see Harris become a nominee, announcing his admiration for her.
The American political news website RealClearPolitics illustrates the up-to-date polls. Currently, Trump is in the lead, with 1.9% above Harris. The data indicates that key demographic groups will be pivotal.
Stay tuned with RealClearPolitics!
Donald Trump has the wrong character and capacities to be President in my view. I fear his second term would make his first one seem benign in accelerating the decline of our institutions. I’ll be voting for Kamala Harris and her running mate in November. Let’s go! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/4zf0ZLwJHL
— Andrew Yang🧢⬆ï¸ðŸ‡ºðŸ‡¸ (@AndrewYang) July 23, 2024
American businessman and attorney Andrew Yang has commented on the need for innovative policies, hinting at economic inequalities. He has shown support for Harris.
The wrong “character” and “capacities” relate to Trump’s age constraints in the election. Plenty of people have questioned his fitness to lead the country, claiming he is in cognitive decline.
Donald J. Trump is one of the most powerful men on Earth.
And here are 15 of his best lessons that I guarantee will give you intense chills.
Read carefully â’ pic.twitter.com/7Udrbm2U7E
— Manu Sisti ð• (@manu_books) July 15, 2024
Political analyst Manu Books emphasizes the role of digital campaigns in influencing undecided voters. He favors Trump and encourages the audience to read up on his top 15 quotes.
On the 13th of July 2024, Trump was on the brink of death when he survived a potentially fatal gunshot. It happened in the middle of his campaign in Pennsylvania. The bullet penetrated his helix and left him bleeding. Despite the injury, he stood his ground and maintained a robust body language. His supporters praised him and prayed for his quick recovery.
The most influential person on Earth supports Donald Trump! ✊🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/UN39jRGzMw
— DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) July 24, 2024
Known for his humorous takes on politics, CB Doge imparts a lighter political perspective. His posts often reflect the sentiments of young voters active on social media. He seems favorably disposed to Trump in the election.
The rationale for Trump’s picture with Elon Musk is relevant to his turbulent relationship with him. Irrespective of the reservations, Musk may support Trump in the election.
The Harris vs. Trump race for the upcoming U.S. presidential election has various layers. Polls signify a close contest – no one knows what the future has in store.
What is your belief? With whom do your values align with? Who do you think is a capable candidate? Leave a remark.
Kelvin Stiles is a tech enthusiast and works as a marketing consultant at SurveyCrest – FREE online survey software and publishing tools for academic and business use. He is also an avid blogger and a comic book fanatic.
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