Ex-Obama aide declares that early voting statistics ‘scary‘ for Harris
Date
11/5/2024 7:23:52 AM
(MENAFN) As the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches, early voting numbers have sparked concern within the Democratic camp, with some insiders raising alarms about the momentum of Republican voters. Jim Messina, a former campaign manager for President Barack Obama's 2012 re-election, expressed his apprehension during an interview on MSNBC, noting that the early voting figures are "a little scary" for Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate.
Messina pointed to a noticeable shift in early voting patterns, suggesting that Republican supporters, who historically avoided early voting, have significantly increased their participation compared to the 2020 election. In 2020, former President Donald Trump discouraged his supporters from voting early, but this cycle, Messina emphasized, the dynamic has changed. "Republicans did not do what they did last time," he noted, highlighting that this time, Trump’s base has shown greater enthusiasm for casting early ballots. As a result, Republicans are currently enjoying an early voting advantage.
The former Obama campaign manager revealed that many of his contacts in the Democratic Party have been alarmed by these early trends. "When the early vote comes in, it is going to look a little bit different than 2020," he warned, signaling that the early voting landscape may be shifting in ways that are not favorable for Harris and the Democrats.
Despite these concerns, Messina tempered his remarks with optimism, pointing to key demographic groups that could still provide a boost to Harris’ campaign. He cited two voting blocks in particular: women voters and young voters in battleground states. According to Messina, more than half of early voters are women, a demographic that has been a strong pillar of support for the Democratic Party in recent elections. Furthermore, Messina noted that in the final days of early voting, there has been a surge in young voters, especially in critical swing states, where the youth vote has come out in what appears to be historic numbers.
These shifts in voter behavior suggest that while the early voting numbers may initially appear to favor the Republican side, the Democratic campaign has strong reasons for optimism. Women, who traditionally support Democratic candidates, and young voters, who are seen as pivotal in securing victories in key states, are showing up in numbers that could prove decisive as the election progresses.
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