As a result of the national polls showing a significant increase in Trump’s approval rating, anxiety within the Democratic Party is intensifying. This week, the gap in polls between the two sides narrowed again, leading to Ha Jinli changing her campaign strategy in an attempt to attract more male and Republican voters, while simultaneously intensifying attacks on Trump.
According to data from American media and internal Democratic Party polls, as of Thursday (October 17), Ha Jinli’s support in key states is almost on par with Trump’s. These results have caused unprecedented anxiety within the Democratic Party, with some colleagues expressing concerns that Ha Jinli’s poll numbers are not improving, fearing she may not be able to convey a strong message and, therefore, unable to attract more male voters’ support.
A month ago, there was a general optimism within the Democratic camp that Ha Jinli had a good chance of defeating Trump. However, as the election approaches, with less than a month to go, Democrats are becoming increasingly worried about the issues that Ha Jinli seems unable to shake off.
Democratic election strategy expert Anthony Coley said that there is indeed a sense of unease within the party, with poll results staying relatively stagnant weeks after the Democratic National Convention. He pointed out that after the honeymoon period ended, it became clear that Ha Jinli has been at a disadvantage from the start, facing a tough battle with poll numbers remaining virtually unchanged.
Coley explained that Ha Jinli has often mentioned being at a disadvantage since entering the race, with many thinking it’s just political rhetoric. However, it has been the reality since she joined the race.
“At the beginning of July when she first said this, it was true, and it’s still true now three weeks later,” Coley said.
Ha Jinli had a 7-point lead over Trump in late September, but this advantage has now narrowed to just 3 points. Rising prices, housing costs, and concerns over border issues have raised worries among the American people. Even though experts favor Ha Jinli’s economic policies, voters still trust Trump more to manage the economy.
An article by Reuters pointed out that the current situation for Ha Jinli’s camp is “discouraging,” as since entering the race in July, she has performed well in fundraising and polls, and her debate performances have been evaluated as better than Trump’s.
A poll by The Washington Post showed that although Ha Jinli leads in four of the seven swing states, the margin of lead does not exceed 3 percentage points.
According to the latest national poll results, Ha Jinli’s support nationwide stands at 49%, slightly higher than Trump’s 46%.
The website “FiveThirtyEight” believes Ha Jinli has a 52% chance of winning, compared to Trump’s 48%.
The cryptocurrency betting platform Polymarket shows Trump’s latest chances of winning at 61.9%, with Ha Jinli at 38.1%.
However, a senior Democratic campaign assistant stated that Ha Jinli is now focusing on policies and plans to present her image as a “strong prosecutor” on the national stage to attract voters interested in Trump’s strong image.
The assistant said: “This campaign was always going to be close, but that means we won’t lose sleep over it.”
Reportedly, Ha Jinli changed her campaign strategy this week by airing rare clips of Trump talking about “internal enemies” at a rally in Pennsylvania, accusing Trump’s statements of posing a danger to the United States. She then interviewed with well-known African-American radio host Charlamagne tha God in Detroit to appeal to African-American male voters.
Afterward, she conducted an interview with Fox News in an attempt to attract conservative voters. There are rumors that Ha Jinli may visit the popular podcaster Joe Rogan’s show. Rogan has tens of millions of loyal listeners, mostly young males.
In comparison, three donors who support Trump have expressed growing confidence that Trump will emerge victorious. They stated that as long as Trump can win a state among Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, in addition to victories in Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, and North Carolina, he has a chance to enter the White House.