Tonight we will find out whether her campaign is a pumpkin or whether the glass slipper belongs to her. Has Harris got what it takes to be president or has her “vibes” campaign been a mirage?
The opinion polls can’t tell us who is going to win. But what these neckand-neck polls have demonstrated time and again is that roughly two out of three US voters think the country is on the wrong track. Americans want change. I still believe women voters have the power to sink Trump, but the candidate that can best capture the insurgent energy of this campaign is likely to carry off the prize.
Trump was victorious in 2016 when he was the change agent against Hillary Clinton, with all her decades of baggage. By 2020 voters had tired of his White House antics and replaced him with “Sleepy Joe” Biden. As Trump takes to the stage in Philadelphia tonight, will he be posing as the incumbent, with an established record as president, or as the insurgent with a mandate for change? What about vice-president Harris? They can both lay claim to being insiders and outsiders, with unpredictable consequences for the televised debate.
Harris has the toughest task. Trump’s image is baked in by now, whereas she still has to introduce herself to voters who haven’t been swept up by her successful “brat” summer. But the confidence that led Harris to adopt Beyoncé’s anthem, Freedom, as her theme tune has been replaced by a more cautious, defensive crouch. Avoiding press conferences and interviews in the media hasn’t helped. The downside is that Harris has ditched some of the buzz that surrounded the launch of her candidacy in favour of appearing more presidential than populist.
Denne historien er fra September 10, 2024-utgaven av Evening Standard.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra September 10, 2024-utgaven av Evening Standard.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Vamos Rafa! It's time to go for Spain's brave warrior
'Shy and funny' Nadal bows out as sport's ultimate competitor
Does Angeball have a winning future at Spurs?
Head coach divides supporters with his ultra-attacking tactics
The £5bn-a-year tax timebomb that's set to devastate London hospitality
The capital will bear the brunt of Rachel Reeves’s National Insurance raid
Live like a Queen...
...in the house gifted to Anne of Cleves by Henry VIII in 1540 and now onsale for 3.75 million
At home with...Matthew Williamson
The designer’s Belsize Park flatis a grand canvas for his ever-changing colour palette
Hidden London
The first time I made my way to Maison Assouline was with a broken foot, in a tragic boot and crutches.
Jameela Jamil on why New York will always have her heart...
..and her stomach. The actor and activist shares her favourite brunch spot, a secret bar and her brownstone fantasies
My life in bespoke suits
Back in the Eighties, suits were so wide that even the shoulder pads had shoulder pads. Suits back then were boxy, square, and designed to make you look like a quarterback, a bouncer or a tank.
Cher's wild world
The singer's memoir is full of jaw-dropping tales
'I was told I could stay in the UKthen kicked out of my asylum accommodation'
As our appeal hits 1m, we turn the spotlight on an official policy that’s making newly recognised refugees homeless