What a difference a day makes!
On the night of July 20, President Joe Biden met with his top aides and was presented with the alarming polling information (reflected in my Washington Post infographic earlier that day), that convinced him he had no path to victory. The polls showed him losing every swing state. About 10% of the American electorate would vote for Trump simply because he was stronger than Biden, despite being less competent, unhinged, and dictatorial.
On Sunday, July 21, Biden made the most important decision of his life. Instead of a disastrous Ruth Bader Ginsberg moment, it was his George Washington moment. And the presidential election was turned on its head.
Suddenly, Trump’s relentless “strong versus weak” narrative has been reversed. Now he is the oldest candidate to run for president in history, surpassing Reagan’s reelection bid by five years. Suddenly it is his weak health and dementia lapses, and rambling nonsense that will only get worse every week between now and the election.
And, most importantly, suddenly Democrats have excitement for a younger, stronger candidate who will turn out young, female and Black voters in record numbers to elect the first woman president in American history.
The first post announcement polls were released Tuesday by the Reuters/IPSOS pollster. In a three way race with Kennedy, Harris beat Trump by four points. A poll released Thursday showed that, compared to Biden, she is up 8 points among Black voters, 6 up with Hispanics, and 1 point up with Whites. Harris’ favorability ratings also continue to rise since she became the party’s presumptive nominee. And she’s only getting started.
A record $100 million in donations poured in during the first 24 hours, matched by another $150 million in PAC money. It broke all records for campaign cash raised in a short time. After a week her campaign has now raised $200 million and signed up 170,000 new volunteers.
Meanwhile, Trump is in full panic mode, as Harris slams him in her first speeches, painting the race as a contest between prosecutor and a felon.
As I pointed out in a column last week, Harris’ candidacy provides an incredible opportunity. Trump’s high unfavorability ratings are 41%. And as he gets older and more unhinged, with lapses into dementia and incoherent ramblings, his unpopularity will grow.
And there may be even better news ahead.
Harris is adding pent up enthusiasm and widespread awareness to the election. Young voters who were uninspired by Biden will turn out in record numbers not seen since Obama’s landslide election in 2008. Add to this millions of women galvanized by the terrifying prospect of losing their reproductive freedom, and America is likely to witness a blue tidal wave this November.
Both abortion bills and close Senate races are on the ballot in Arizona and Florida. A sweeping Harris victory, which feels more likely with each passing day, would allow Democrats to hold onto their Senate majority and retake the House of Representatives.
Controlling the White House and both houses of congress would empower Democrats to end the filibuster and expand the Supreme Court to 13 justices, the number of federal appellate districts. This would render irrelevant the most corrupt, repressive, and politically vengeful Supreme Court majority in history.
A new court could restore reproductive freedom, voting rights, and the power to regulate our air and climate.
A simple Democratic majority in the House and Senate could also vote to make Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico states. This would add four reliably Democratic senators and seven seats to the House, helping remedy the slave state-favoring electoral college and the undemocratic senate representation system. The power of a far right extremist minoritarian Republican party would, finally, come to an end.
A very bright day may soon turn into a very, very bright future for the United States of America.
This article originally appeared on stoptrumpdictatorship.com
