Trump’s extreme vision for America increases pressure on Harris

And a Supreme Court ruling granting presidents significant immunity suggests there are few barriers to empire’s executive power.

Trump’s increasing extremism increases the already massive pressure on Harris. And a phalanx of senior Democratic leaders — including former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama — are imploring voters in swing states, particularly the black and Latino voters Harris needs, not to let Trump return.

The vice president stepped up her attacks on Trump on Sunday during a rally in North Carolina, criticizing him for not releasing his medical records (immediately after the release of her own medical report) and for refusing to release them in a second debate to meet and be interviewed by her on “60 Minutes.”

“He is not transparent with voters. … This makes you wonder: Why do his employees want him to hide? You have to ask yourself: Are you afraid that people will see that he is too weak and unstable?” she asked.

There is growing concern among Democrats that the euphoria over Harris’ entry into the race in July, her successful convention in August and her debate performance the following month has not yet translated into a decisive lead over Trump.

There is no clear frontrunner in CNN’s current average of national polls, which includes head-to-head polls from CBS, ABC and NBC released Sunday. Even if Harris were leading in national polls, there are fears that, like Hillary Clinton before her, she could win the popular vote but lag in the Electoral College.

The even race three weeks ago shows that while Trump represents a departure from traditional presidential candidates, he offers something that millions of Americans want. Republicans argue that Harris-Biden policies caused a spike in inflation that the White House tried to downplay for months. Trump cites the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan to argue that the current White House is viewed globally as weak. And after failing to address the policy or policy implications of immigration early in Biden’s term, Democrats presented Trump with a major opportunity on a crucial issue.

The close competition also points out that despite Trump’s uncompromising extremism, Democrats have failed for the third straight time to produce a candidate and a message that could reassure them about the election outcome. While liberals and moderates may be dismayed by Trump’s proposed strong leadership, he is winning on what voters consistently say is the most important campaign issue: the economy. In the ABC News/Ipsos poll, for example, even though the job market is robust, inflation is far from its peak and interest rates are falling, 59% say things are getting worse.

With the nation’s mood so bad, Harris’ tenure as vice president is a liability. And the fact that she failed to identify even one thing she would have done differently than Biden in a recent interview with ABC’s “The View” is a misstep that Trump will exploit leading up to Election Day. Harris has laid out policies to help people buy and rent homes, reduce health care costs and revive a bipartisan border law that Trump rejected. However, in her interviews it is still often difficult to find a valid justification for her election campaign. Trump’s promises to deport migrants, impose tariffs on US trade rivals and fix an out-of-control world seem urgent, if extreme, in comparison.

‘Bad news for Democrats’: Data reporter shows where GOP is making big gains

Still, Democrats looking for certainty might find that Trump is at 48% or lower in most polls. This means his typical ceiling in national elections remains in place, while Harris may still have room to grow. In the NBC News poll, 10% of voters said they might change their mind. And what the network called a “splinter” still hasn’t been claimed. In states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona and Georgia, even late shifts in support could be crucial.

The ultimate composition of the electorate will also be crucial. For example, will Harris’ focus on abortion rights lead to higher-than-expected turnout among women, which could confound pollsters’ assumptions? Can she stop her opponent’s advances among black male and Hispanic voters? Or will Trump tap into a new pool of support among Americans who agree with him on many issues but rarely vote?

Democratic strategist Doug Sosnik believes the election is a 50-50 race and that Harris has plateaued over the last ten days while Trump has gained some ground. He told CNN political director David Chalian on the “CNN Political Briefing” podcast that the presidency may depend on which candidate ultimately brands themselves as a change agent.

Trump’s campaign released a memo on Sunday claiming that this question had already been answered. “She cannot convince voters that she is the ‘agent of change’ in the race, that she will do better on the economy, inflation, immigration, crime, or improving people’s financial situations,” the memo said. “The bottom line is that voters say President Trump will do a better job.”

But Sosnik said the campaign will “really focus on Harris and whether she can withstand the pressure and scrutiny and whether she can create a permission structure for people who don’t want to vote for Trump but are worried about Harris.” .” He warned: “They don’t feel like she’s given them enough reasons to vote for her… she doesn’t at the moment.”

Harris’ task is made more difficult by the lack of options to take on Trump directly. The former president, who has berated her for weeks for avoiding the press, rarely leaves his comfort zone of conservative media and Fox News, where he enjoys admiration rather than cross-examination. He dodged a second presidential debate against Harris and withdrew from a “60 Minutes” interview before criticizing the vice president’s performance on the show. And while Trump’s 2016 rallies were hard to miss on cable television, the appearances outside of conservative media are now rarely widely covered, meaning many voters may not appreciate his extreme and increasingly incoherent antics.

Obama appeared taken aback by his predecessor’s enduring appeal among millions of voters during a campaign appearance for Harris last week in Pennsylvania. “There is absolutely no evidence that this man thinks about anyone but himself,” Obama said. “For Donald Trump, power is nothing more than a means to an end.”

But Trump — despite his two impeachments, his criminal conviction and his attempt to destroy democracy to stay in power — is back within reach of the presidency with a more radical agenda.

Senator Chris Murphy has been making a series of increasingly frantic posts in recent days suggesting “a dystopian country” with open-air prison camps and suspended rule of law. “We can’t allow that. His vision of America is not America,” the Connecticut Democrat added.

His post underscored what Harris represents to those who fear the very real prospect of Trump’s return.