From basketball courts to rodeo, how the state of Georgia could influence the US election | US News
These have been crazy months, even by American political standards.
After Donald Trump’s criminal conviction in New York came Joe Biden’s mistakes in this debatethen Trump’s near miss with an assassin’s bullet and finally the Democrats’ dramatic switch from Biden to Harris.
The events have shaken local politics, and the remarkably smooth transition of the Democratic Party has turned the race for the White House on its head.
Harris’ arrival has turned the race into a neck-and-neck one. In just a few weeks, she has won back voters who were otherwise safe but were turned off by the aging Biden, according to polls.
But what is the mood in the states where it really matters, apart from the star-studded coronation convention for Harris in Chicago this week?
I just got back from Georgia. It’s one of those must-win swing states.
In Georgia, the electorate is so diverse and the results so close that every vote counts. Biden won here in 2020 by a margin of 0.23% – just 11,779 votes.
It was telling in many ways. Yes, Harris upset the race, but the fundamentals of this election are unchanged.
The economy, the southern border, abortion and the character of the candidates remain the key factors. And it will come down to a small part of the electorate – probably just over 10% of the persuadables.
Here is a snapshot of a trip through Georgia.
The grill restaurant
No visit to the American South is complete without a good barbecue.
Located in the southwestern Georgia city of Columbus, Emerald’s Touch is new and the perfect product of the American dream.
Three generations of the same family run the place.
Jayden takes orders, his dad is in the kitchen, and his grandfather is the grill master in the back. And Sandy, the matriarch, is the creator of the best mac and cheese I’ve had in a long time.
The business was founded as a food truck during the COVID pandemic under Trump’s presidency and expanded into the takeout restaurant it is today under Biden’s tenure. In the next few months, it will expand again and become a full-fledged sit-down restaurant.
It’s a perfect reflection of what’s possible in America. Trump’s low taxes and Biden’s bottom-up economics made it possible.
Stay up to date with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Tap here
Jayden will be voting for the first time in November and is still undecided – exactly the type of person both parties need to focus on.
He represents a significant group of so-called “ill-informed” voters. That’s an inelegant way of putting it, but it essentially means that he’s not quite ready for everything. He doesn’t know what the two candidates stand for.
Conversations with customers are insightful.
Speaking about the prospect of a black female president, young black mother Erica says, “It’s something I’d love to tell my daughter about… but I’m not going to let something that’s so close to my heart be left in the dark about a vote just because it could be so historic.”
Vince Allan is a local pastor.
“To me, this is a troubling campaign,” he says. “We’re hearing a lot of name-calling and negative rhetoric instead of candidates sticking to their policies… it’s pretty toxic.”
Then, away from the microphone, he whispered his candidate in my ear. I won’t give it away, but it was a surprise.
The basketball court
This election is about appealing to diverse demographics, and young black men are key. On the basketball court, as the sun set in the South, the perfect group gathered to talk politics.
All under 50 and all black or Latino, they are exactly the people Harris needs if she wants to win the state.
“I’m voting for Trump,” says one man. “He’s our best choice.” Two others join in the conversation excitedly. “I’m Trump too… we’re for Trump!”
“He has 34 felony charges! Damn, he’s blacker than me!” says another player, laughing.
This kind of self-deprecating humor speaks volumes to a certain section of the electorate.
This isn’t the first time I’ve heard this. It’s kind of cool that your street fighter survived the legal torture and could still make it to the top.
But on that basketball court, it also became clear that beyond machismo, it is simply financial reasons that draw people to Trump rather than Harris.
“Trump is real, brother. He doesn’t care what you think about him. He’s going to speak his mind,” another man says.
But like Jayden at the barbecue restaurant, I’ve found that many are simply out of the loop – not yet, and maybe never will be – but their voice, if they vote, counts as much as any other.
Trump and Harris both need to exert just enough influence to secure their vote.
The Rodeo
In the far north of Georgia lies the picturesque town of Blue Ridge.
It lies at the base of the Blue Ridge mountain range, which stretches hundreds of miles north through Tennessee and into Virginia. Much of this part of the Appalachians is deeply Trump country.
The annual rodeo is a wonderful snapshot of American culture and feels like a million miles away from the basketball court about 100 miles to the south.
Although the country is extraordinarily diverse, politicians must agree on one of two options in November.
The first conversation ended the temptation to lose myself in stereotypes.
Three young friends, all first-time voters, all wearing cowboy hats and all with different views. One for Trump, one for Harris and one undecided.
Trump supporters were primarily motivated by his rough character, Harris supporters were worried about the situation in the Gaza Strip, and the undecided were worried about gasoline prices.
For many, this election will come down to individual issues.
Another issue is abortion, a debate often framed as choice versus life. And in deeply religious Georgia, the issue is a double-edged sword. A libertarian, “mind your own business” attitude meets fundamentalist religious beliefs.
For many, religion is more important than choice. “I am a devout Catholic,” one young woman told me. She confirmed that she would vote Republican because of their policies restricting abortion.
Interestingly, another local then commented that a significant percentage of female voters would claim to support Trump, but ultimately would secretly vote for Kamala because of what she stands for.
This is another dynamic that must be taken into account in this fascinating race.
Read more:
Trump had the election in his pocket until he
US politics is characterized by malice and division
Remember how dramatically wrong the polls were in the last two presidential elections.
Trump tends to perform worse in polls than he actually does.
How reliable are the polls on Harris? That’s difficult to say, because at the moment it’s difficult to define her.
In some ways, she represents something completely new and fresh, certainly in terms of race and gender.
But she is also fully committed to the last four years of Biden.
That’s the challenge for Team Harris: Will they sell “Continuity Kamala” or will she represent change? Will she build on Biden’s legacy or will she differentiate herself from it?
Different voters want different things. It seems like a delicate balance in a campaign where everything is at stake.
