THE Vice President Kamala Harris was caught on open mic recognizing her to the Democratic governor of Michigan on Saturday after a campaign event in Kalamazoo that had a problem with white male voting: “It’s a disaster, but we have to gain ground with men”Kamala Harris recognizes Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer at Trak Houz Bar and Grill, having a beer. The Democratic candidate immediately realizes that the microphones are picking up the conversation: “Oh, we have microphones here listening to everything,” Harris admitted, with a nervous face. This state is one of the seven undecided states (Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin), key to winning the elections. presidential elections on November 5. In addition, It is part of the Blue Wall (blue wall)as well as Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, three traditional Democratic states that Trump won in 2016 over Hillary Clinton. The swing states together have 94 electoral votes. Trump or Harris need 270 electoral votes to win the White House.
Kamala Harris has been launched since last Sunday new ad campaign targeting men in swing states (Swing States). The premiere aired at sporting events Sunday and Monday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where the campaign aired an exclusive ad during the broadcast of the Pittsburgh Steelers game. They adapted to the three citiesincluding references to local sports teams. All of them attempt to present Trump as an outsider in opposition to the working-class communities of the city in question.
The ads are part of the strategy to attract the attention of male voters. Harris is trying to close the gender gap. According to the poll average, Harris is 0.1 points behind Trump. In an investigation commissioned by the newspaper Detroit NewsTrump wins among male voters by 21 percentage points, 55% to 34%. Harris wins among women by 24 points, 58%-34%, according to the poll results. Men trust Trump more to solve the problems they care about most: the economy, inflation and illegal immigration. Michigan voters’ responses to the survey follow the trend that has defined the 2024 campaign: In swing states, they are dissatisfied with the direction the country is taking under Democrat Joe Biden’s presidency.
Michigan residents are 73.7% non-Hispanic White, but the state is also home to a large African American population (14.1%). On the other hand, Harris also lost ground among the African American male vote. The second largest group is the Hispanic population, which makes up 6%. Harris also conceded in this traditionally Democratic group. Michigan has also seen slow population growth over the years: it had 21 Electoral College votes in the 1970s and now has 15, after losing an additional vote between 2020 and 2024.
As in Wisconsin, a key group for both candidates predominates in Michigan white working class voters. Auto manufacturing is important to the state’s economy (Michigan is home to General Motors and Ford, as well as the North American headquarters of Stellantis). The union vote will be something to watch. Over there, Trump’s message has sunk in these days: He promised to bring back manufacturing jobs.
About 66% of likely Michigan voters think the country is heading in the wrong direction.. Jobs and the economy are his main concerns. Next: inflation and gas prices. Everyone remembers that interest rates and fuel were lower under the Trump administration.
In 2016, Trump became the first Republican candidate to win Michigan since 1988. He then narrowly beat Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton: 10,704 votes, or 0.2 percentage points, 47.5%-47.3%. Joe Biden returned to this state of Democratic tradition in 2020, which has now become one of the main undecided states to win the election.
