U.S. Presidential Candidates: Short Contest All The More Reason to Talk Policy

Editorial

15:14 JST, August 8, 2024

The contenders in the U.S. presidential election in November have finally been decided. Vice President Kamala Harris of the Democratic Party will face off against former President Donald Trump of the Republican Party.

It will be an unusually short race, with less than 100 days until election day. It is hoped that the two candidates will compete based on their vision for the nation and on policy, so that voters will be able to determine which of them is more suitable to lead the superpower.

The presidential race changed dramatically when President Joe Biden, who had sought reelection, withdrew from the contest in July. The Democratic Party held online voting before the party convention starting from Aug. 19, and Harris effectively became the new presidential nominee.

The only way to quell turmoil in the party was to unite Democrats under Harris, who was endorsed by Biden, and the strategy has so far proved effective. With some surveys showing Harris ahead of Trump in support ratings, Trump’s advantage is fading.

There is no doubt that the generational shift from the 81-year-old Biden to the 59-year-old Harris, and the fact that, if elected, she would be the first woman and first Asian American president of the United States have been well received by young people and independent voters.

Harris chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to be her running mate. By appointing a white man from the Midwest, Harris may be aiming to broaden her support among the working class and in rural areas.

In past presidential elections, the qualifications of candidates have been closely examined through a nearly yearlong race, starting from the primaries of each party and ending in the general election. Harris did not go through this process. Hopefully, she will present comprehensive policies on the economy, foreign affairs, security and other issues.

As for Trump, it is regrettable that he has resumed his personal attacks, which he had reined in after the assassination attempt against him in July.

Trump said of Harris, who has an Indian mother and a Jamaican father, “She was always of Indian heritage … she happened to turn Black.” JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, was also revealed to have made a comment in the past that demeaned women.

Attacks based on race and gender may be a tactic to appeal to the white working class. But not only is this inappropriate, it may be counterproductive to trying to gain a lead over Harris, who is in hot pursuit of Trump.

A televised debate is scheduled for September in which the two presidential candidates could face off directly. Trump has unilaterally insisted on holding the debate on a different date and TV station from those previously agreed upon. One cannot help but feel that he is avoiding the debate.

Concerns about an economic slowdown are growing in the United States, and the situation in Europe and the Middle East is tense. How do the two presidential candidates intend to deal with domestic and international challenges? This is not a moment to be wasting time on unproductive slander of the other candidate.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Aug. 8, 2024)