A week before the American presidential elections, prominent Democrat Michelle Obama appears publicly for the first time alongside Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
Former President Barack Obama’s wife and the sitting vice president were expected to attend an election rally together in Michigan on Saturday. The state is one of seven so-called swing states that will likely be crucial for victory on November 5.
Sharp criticism of Trump
Her performance was expected in Kalamazoo. Harris’ Republican opponent Donald Trump was expected about 200 kilometers away in Novi, a suburb of the car city of Detroit.
Obama is the latest celebrity to appear before American citizens alongside Harris. The musicians Beyoncé and Bruce Springsteen were on stage with her for the last time. Former wrestler Hulk Hogan and musician Kid Rock have campaigned for Trump. Like her husband, Obama sharply criticized Trump during the Democratic Party convention in August.
Before incumbent President Joe Biden dropped out of the race in July, the former first lady was clearly ahead 50 to 39 percent in a hypothetical head-to-head comparison with Trump, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. However, Michelle Obama has repeatedly stated that she will not run for president.
Close race
The race between Harris and Trump, on the other hand, is extremely close. According to the latest Reuters/Ipsos survey, they are nominally 46 to 43 percent ahead. However, this distance is actually within the margin of error. In Michigan, the lead is less than a full percentage point, according to the statistics website FiveThirtyEight: 47.6 to 47.1 percent is reported here.
The final two votes saw the decision in Michigan relatively close: In the state with about 8.4 million registered voters, Biden won by 150,000 votes in 2020, while Trump had prevailed over Hillary Clinton four years earlier by just 11,000 votes.
Difficult terrain
Once again, Michigan is considered a tough spot for both candidates this year. The American Great Lakes state, shaped like a mitten and a total population of ten million – slightly larger than Austria – is home to a large Arab and Muslim minority that is uncomfortably following the Biden administration’s Middle East policy.
Auto industry union members are concerned about how the move to electric cars will transform the industry in the US. Harris and Obama are expected to focus on abortion rights, taxes and workers’ rights, while Trump has pledged in previous appearances in Michigan to introduce tax breaks on car purchases and restrictions on imports of Chinese vehicles.
However, for about a fifth of voters, the remote election duel comes too late. Michigan is one of the states where voting can take place before the actual elections (early voting). The Interior Ministry said on Friday that almost 20 percent of registered voters had already voted by post or at the ballot box.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
