As the final days before the 2024 U.S. presidential election set in, Vice President Kamala Harris versus former President Donald Trump works its way into being one of the most unpredictable in recent history. Combing through the lingering competition with November 5 fast approaching the tug-of-war is extended particularly in Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Michigan. Polls still indicate that neither candidate has a distinct lead. Still, political analysts are now preparing themselves for the “October surprise”: that sudden and unforeseen event capable of giving that crucial turn of the electoral swing toward one candidate.
Trump has also earmarked his rallies with economic recovery, job creation, and national security—the issues he plans on touting about his base of blue-collar workers and conservatives. He has also kept on hammering criticism of Harris’ policies, especially on crime and immigration, targeting them as a bid to gain support among swing voters who fear the record of the Biden-Harris administration.
Conversely, Harris has mostly become the beneficiary of her administration’s healthcare and infrastructure successes while framing her presidency as an extension of Biden’s work toward making a stronger, more just America. Her campaign benefits significantly from progressive blocs and young voters; however, issues related to enthusiasm are identified among some minority voters, where those wins for Harris look critical in Georgia and Arizona.
It’s clear both sides today focus on just getting their message out, especially to undecided voters in suburban areas and swing districts as the candidates crisscross the country in the final days. Legal battles over mail-in ballots, and voter suppression issues, are all part of the overlay that could affect the outcome.
Both campaigns have had to gear up for a frantic final push – with Trump fighting to recover the White House and Harris to become the nation’s first female president. As the campaign comes to its final weeks, polls are now within the range of that important difference, so again 2024 may come down to razor-thin margins in swing states, with many Americans anxiously holding out for the news they will eventually hear.
