On a turbo tour through the swing states, the candidates are trying to win over undecided voters. How do the teams want to convince people? And where do they have open flanks?
By appointing Tim Walz as her vice president, presidential candidate Kamala Harris has completed the Democratic team for the election on November 5. On the Republican side, the duo has been set for some time: Donald Trump as presidential candidate and JD Vance as his deputy. The next 90 days will be the hot phase of the US election campaign.
Both the Democrats and the Republicans are concentrating on the politically contested swing states. After their first joint appearance in the state of Pennsylvania, Harris and Walz traveled on to Wisconsin and Michigan. Vance was also there at the same time. They are fighting almost in parallel for the votes of the undecided and swing voters, which are what ultimately counts.
What do the duos want to score points with? And where do the candidates offer scope for attack? An overview:
migration
For the Republicans, it is the most important issue in this election year: migration. Trump incites hatred against migrants at every rally and sometimes uses dehumanizing language. Vance often uses the conspiracy theory that the Democrats want to replace America’s “traditional” electorate with people from Latin America.
The two blame Harris for the crisis on the border with Mexico. President Joe Biden had given her the difficult task of “combating the causes of flight” as Vice President. After three and a half years, she has not had much to show for it.
Her running mate Walz, as governor of Minnesota – a state on the border with Canada – only occasionally comes into contact with border policy in the South. He generally advocates a pro-immigration policy.
Many people who are fleeing poverty, violence and political crises in their homeland choose to travel to the USA via Mexico. The situation at the border remains very tense. The authorities cannot keep up with processing asylum applications. There is also a lack of accommodation and other resources for those arriving. Although the number of illegal border crossings has recently fallen, it is from a record level.
abortion
Since the US Supreme Court overturned the nationwide right to abortion two years ago, Harris has been a staunch advocate for women’s rights – and is more convincing in this area than on the issue of migration. Abortion has become a central campaign issue for the Democrats.
Harris wants to restore the nationwide right to abortion. In the USA, there is now a patchwork of regulations, some of which are very restrictive and even prohibitive. Harris wants to counteract this with uniform legislation. Trump and Vance, on the other hand, want the issue to remain a matter for the states.
Following the controversial Supreme Court ruling, Harris’ running mate Walz was the first governor in the country to sign a new law for Minnesota that ensures a “fundamental right to autonomous decisions” on issues such as abortion, contraception and fertility treatments.
Business
Not a single speech by Trump goes by without a comprehensive criticism of Biden’s current economic policy, for which Harris, as Vice President, also shares responsibility. “Inflation” is the key word here. This is a result of uncontrolled government spending, says Trump.
Although the inflation rate has fallen, prices for everyday purchases have settled at a high level. This is causing problems for many Americans. The Republicans are hitting a nerve.
In their election campaign, Harris and Walz are emphasizing the need for investments in climate protection. Another focus is on strengthening workers’ rights. Walz in particular is considered to be close to the unions. Harris has spoken out in favor of higher taxes on higher earners.
Trump advocates less government regulation. Vance is also fundamentally skeptical. During his term as president, Trump lowered corporate and business taxes to encourage business investment.
democracy
The Democrats have declared the November election to be a vote about nothing less than preserving democracy and the rule of law. The storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, is proof that the USA could slide into “a land of chaos, fear and hatred,” Harris repeatedly makes clear during the election campaign.
To this day, Trump does not acknowledge his election defeat in 2020 – and he deliberately leaves the question of what he would do in the event of a defeat in November open. With Vance, he has brought in a vice president who also questions the result.
Walz is committed to ensuring that as many people as possible can vote in his state and that hurdles are removed. In addition, the fact that Trump was convicted in a New York criminal case offers scope for attack. As a former prosecutor, Harris emphasizes that she knows a lot about “guys like Trump.”
Sore points
In the coming weeks, teams will be even more focused on attacking their opponents where they see open flanks.
Harris and Walz accuse Trump and Vance of wanting to “turn back the clock.” The Democrats warn above all that another Republican presidency would endanger fundamental freedoms and democracy in general.
They also accuse Trump’s running mate Vance of lacking authenticity. The author of the bestseller “Hillbilly Elegy” has made his working-class roots his political identity – but his studies at an elite university, his subsequent career as an investor and his proximity to billionaires in Silicon Valley provide a welcome opportunity to sow doubts about Vance’s closeness to the people.
Trump and Vance, for their part, are concentrating on branding Harris and Walz as “left-wing extremists.” They base their arguments particularly on the issues of migration and domestic security.
They are specifically attacking Walz for his role during the “Black Lives Matter” civil rights protests in 2020. They accuse him of not having taken quick and rigorous enough action against riots in Minnesota as governor. They are using this example to portray Walz and the Democrats as supporters of lawlessness. The Republicans are also using Walz’s connection to China, where he once worked as a teacher, as a target.
