With less than two weeks before the election, Donald Trump is surging in the polls. NBC’s early vote tracker showed that the former president had scored advantages in four of the six swing states. Those states not leaning toward Trump (Nevada & Wisconsin) were tied.
How could this be happening so close to election day?
Kamal Harris had been riding a wave of youthful enthusiasm after President Biden’s withdrawal on July 21st. As her party’s presumptive nominee, her star was clearly on the rise.
The Democratic National Committee’s convention at the end of August confirmed her position at the head of the ticket. The convention was a celebration from start to finish.
Harris’ performance during the only presidential debate on September 10th reinforced the energy and enthusiasm of her candidacy.
Harris’ campaign gained momentum with her October 7th appearance on CBS’s 60 Minutes, followed by CNN’s Town Hall on October 23rd. Both events were scripted to allow Harris to address issues of concern to the campaign.
Swirling around these carefully choreographed events, was a background of negative reporting on Trump.
On October 18th Special counsel Jack Smith released nearly 2,000 pages of evidence in his election subversion case against the former president. Never mind that most pages were heavily redacted. The dump served to remind the American voter that Donald Trump was the subject to multiple criminal indictments.
Hillary Clinton did not miss an opportunity to slam the Trump campaign for scheduling a rally at Madison Square Garden. Calling Trump a “fascist,” she likened that event to the 1939 pro-Nazi rally held at the Garden.
Story after story warned of Trump’s dictatorial tendencies which would, inevitably, lead to autocratic rule. Republicans, former Trump cabinet members, were paraded before the cameras, warning that Trump was ill-suited for public office. The death of democracy would be assured if, by some fluke, he were to win November’s election.
But, back to my original question: “how could Donald Trump be gaining in the polls?” In light of Harris’ masterful campaign, and faced with a recounting of Trump’s failings and flaws, how … ?
And therein lies the answer. The average voter has been hearing the same unending, and often hysterical, condemnation of Trump. For eight plus years The Resistance has left no stone unturned in the attempt to thwart Donald Trump. The details changed from month to month, but the message was the same: Trump is not only a threat to democracy, but he is irredeemably evil.
For the average voter, this is nothing more than white noise. Been there, done that. Tell me something I don’t already know. Yawn,
And, on top of that, the average voter is distrustful of professional political operatives. The Harris campaign is simply too slick. It represents the epitome of political skill, the same elitist experts who had marginalized middle America for so long … at least until Donald Trump put them in their place.
The average voter is no longer cowed by the Washington establishment. They are angry. And they will vote.