03 Sep 2024
As part of our ongoing Write Now initiative, 16-year-old Aanya Apte, who will be going into Year 12 at St Albans High School for Girls, takes a look at the race for the White House.
She said: “I really wanted to write this article as I am very interested in politics, particularly US politics, and I found following the US presidential race very interesting and wanted to analyse further specific strengths that the parties are using to gain a competitive advantage in the election polls.”
A gunshot, a fist, a coconut tree and a trending hashtag of Kamala is brat. These past months have been a wild whirlwind in US politics in the lead up to one of the most historic US elections, that could either see the United States’ first female President or the return of the man many believe has reshaped the Republican party forever.
But how will the secret weapons behind Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s parties try to help them win the upcoming election?
Let’s start with the Democrats, who have had the biggest election shake-up: Joe Biden dropping out of the Presidential race. Under President Biden, public sympathy for the Democrats dropped significantly, with members of his own party like Nancy Pelosi calling for him to resign over concerns about his health and age, following his poor performance in the Presidential debate.
Endorsing a younger Harris has mostly united Democrats, with politicians who criticised Biden, like Chuck Schumer, now supporting Harris. This led to a rise in support for the Democrats by 19 per cent, according to Pew Research Centre.
The need to win more seats is crucial, particularly in swing states that would not usually vote Democrat, as they could ‘swing’ the election in the Democrats favour. This is where Harris’ Vice-Presidential pick of Walz comes in. Walz is plain spoken, as seen when he referred to Republican party members: “These guys are just weird”. His rejection of political jargon makes politics seem more accessible to people who may never have voted before. Walz originates from a rural community, and this makes him seem more connected with the struggles of everyday Americans.
Finally, Harris’ social media presence has struck a chord with the youngest generation of voters: Gen-Z. Whilst it may seem simple, Harris’ presence on social media platforms has not only spread more awareness for her policies like reinstating abortion rights, expanding Medicare and increasing gun safety to a global audience but also made her more likeable.
I noticed that after spending five minutes scrolling through Instagram that my for-you-page was flooded by remixes of moments in Harris’ speeches, like her coconut tree analogy, and images of Kamala is brat set to Charlie XCX’s song as well as reels from Harris’ own Instagram account.
The fact that I, as a British teenager, am receiving marketing content from the US Democrats highlights how by expanding the scope of their campaign, the Democrats can gain younger voters, who are not likely to only vote for one party.
Now let’s turn to Harris’ opposition, Donald Trump. Trump had initially dominated the polls against Biden but fell into a 49/47 per cent split as of August 18 2024, according to The New York Times, with Harris currently leading.
Yet the MAGA bandwagon is stronger than ever, partially due to new Vice-Presidential pick, JD Vance. Initially an anti- Trump campaigner, Vance now aims to secure Trump’s re-election to the Oval Office.
However controversial his campaign speeches were (which alienated some voters), his direct tone and background has appealed to others.
Hailing from a rural Appalachian family makes Vance appear less a part of the political machine and more sympathetic to the struggles of poor, white Americans, who tend to vote Republican because they believe their concerns will be more directly addressed.
A dominating concern is unemployment, linked to immigration. Recently Trump unveiled his mass deportation plan, which aims to deport undocumented immigrants starting with Vance’s figure of one million, where the Democrats have apparently fallen short. According to the Department of Homeland Security and Pew Research, around 11 million US immigrants are undocumented.
It’s an issue which has been at the forefront of political agendas for years. Whilst the plan is flawed and neglects to mention the immigration and human rights laws that will need to be managed, the Trump campaign’s foothold lies in the fact that he was once President.
This means that laws were introduced which directly benefit Trump’s re-election prospects, like the 2022 Supreme Court ruling, that ‘courts cannot issue injunctions on immigration enforcement policies’ – this means that deportations could still occur as a backlog of challenges are being debated in court.
The 2024 Supreme Court ruling that grants Presidents criminal immunity means that were Trump re-elected, he could not be charged for any policies that are deemed unlawful. Six of the nine Supreme Court justices are conservatives appointed under Trump, therefore they can put forth laws that directly benefit Trump’s policies, making them seem more achievable.
The most recent strength of the Republicans lies in the most shocking event: the attempted assassination of Trump. This raised questions about the security of US
events and the alarming reality that the gun has been brought back into US politics.
However, Trump’s intuitive reaction turned a deadly event into his campaign’s superpower. It all lies in the fist. This symbol of strength was held up by Trump after the unexpected shooting and has rippled through the Republican party, with Eric Trump posting on social media a photo of the fist with the caption ‘The fighter America needs’.
This image has not only been forever ingrained into our minds but has also furthered Republican support, with many attending rallies also sporting a bandaged ear.
The Trump family’s political involvement is one of his greatest strengths.
Trump shifted his inner circle of family members, casting out Jared Kushner for his granddaughter, Kai Madison Trump. The 17-year-old spoke at the Republican National Convention about Trump being “a normal grandpa”. This image of a soft, compassionate man is a staunch contrast to the harsh rhetoric the Trump campaign has spread so far and it’s this image that has endeared him further to his supporters.
Therefore, in the run-up to the most influential US election of this century, we watch and wait with bated breath to see which way the coin will fall as Harris and Trump fight on the ever-changing battleground of US politics.
