The stakes of the 2024 election are existential for the future of American democracy. On one side is Donald Trump, a man who has demonstrated contempt for the Constitution and the rule of law. He has also repeatedly shown himself to be a racist, a misogynist, and both a likely and convicted criminal who is obsessed with violence. In total, Donald Trump is extremely dangerous to the United States and the world. On the other side is Kamala Harris, a defender of American multiracial democracy and the rule of law. Her candidacy is truly historic. She is the first Black woman to become the presidential nominee for a major political party in the United States. Trump’s vision of America’s present and future is a dystopian hellscape. Harris believes in the American project, our goodness and ability to improve.
In a healthy society, the choice between the two candidates would be clear. Instead, public opinion polls show an election that is basically tied and one of the closest in modern American history. Harris has the momentum and is now ahead nationally. However, Trump and Harris are very close in the key battleground states that will decide the outcome of the Electoral College.
