There are only 20 days left until Election Day. Polls suggest close races in several key states. But it didn't have to be that way. In fact, the Republicans missed an opportunity to decisively win the White House when Donald Trump won the right to be their nominee.
Mr. Trump has loyal supporters. If they show up, it's guaranteed he has received at least 219 electoral votes. But his loyal following alone won't be enough to put him in the White House. What you need is Independents and enough moderate Republicans People who want to change direction.
The problem many of these voters have in this election is Trump's style, even if they support his policies more than those offered by Kamala Harris or the Democrats.
There are almost no movements labeled as “Democrats for Trump.” still “Republicans support Harris” are everywhere. Many former Trump officials and staffers have said that he: unfit to hold the office of president. Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) went so far as to: Campaigning with Harris in Wisconsin.
In a year where some states could win by close margins, just a few thousand moderate Republicans crossing the line could be enough to make a difference in the final electoral tally.
If the Republicans had put a less polarizing figure at the forefront of their campaign, they would have been in a better position to take back the White House. Biden's approval rating is low and how Unhappy people support the direction of the country. This is one reason Trump was so upset when Joe Biden withdrew from the race.
The choice between Trump and Biden was favorable for Trump. Debates don't win elections, but Biden's His debate performance exposed his weaknesses.. If he had been forced to campaign nationwide for the presidential election, it would have required a great deal of physical and mental effort, further exposing his limitations.
Biden's resignation makes Trump the oldest sitting politician, in contrast to Harris, who is much younger. Mr. Trump was animated when he faced Mr. Biden, but he looked much more outdated when he faced Ms. Harris.
This made the White House even more difficult for Republicans. However, making concessions is never good politics. Control of the House and Senate remains at stake, with Republicans salivating at a win in both. But to accomplish these goals, Trump supporters must come to the polls. With them, the House and Senate are within striking distance.
This motivates President Trump to continue making false claims and statements that attract the attention of his supporters. The most famous statement is The 2020 election was fraught with fraud. and it was stolen from him, refuted in multiple courts Even by people hired by President Trump to uncover voter fraud.
In fact, during the vice presidential debate between Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D), Vance was asked directly about this issue. However many claim he dodged the questionhe actually answered because there are actually only two answers that can be given in different ways.
One response is that the election was indeed stolen from Trump, a claim Trump has publicly made. Vance gave no such response.. Another answer is that the election was not stolen and the results were real. Mr. Vance again did not provide such a response.
But if Mr. Vance actually believed there was evidence that the election was stolen, he would have no problem parroting Mr. Trump's rhetoric. But Vance is 40 years oldwhile Trump It's 78. Vance has a long way to go in his political career and is likely to run for the White House in the future.
Repeating Trump's disinformation will come back to haunt him years later. Lying was not an option for him, and he knew it well.
But saying the election was not stolen has become a problem for Trump's campaign with his supporters, effectively shutting down down-ballot races for Republican candidates, including House and Senate races and even some state races. It will weaken it. Going against the votes of top Republicans was simply not an option.
This means Vance avoided answering the question. But by not answering, I learned not to lie without hurting my ticket. It also means he believes the election was not stolen. Studies consistently reach conclusions.
This election was won by the Republicans. There are a lot of them though economic indicators are good, rising inflation During the Biden administration, it gave many voters a reason to want change, no matter the cause. However, Trump's style at the top of the Republican Party has become a headwind for some of his supporters.
Once the final count is complete and history is made with Harris winning the White House, you will hear the usual voices saying the election was stolen. Given that this is President Trump's expected reaction, the element of surprise is negated.
This outcome could have been avoided by placing more broadly appealing options at the top of the list for a wider range of voters. Traditional Republicans know this and will need to keep this in mind as they plan for 2028.
Sheldon H. Jacobsonis a professor of computer science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
