New York: Election seasons in America are never easy for Americans. Picking the right candidate is always a challenging task. Millions of American voters seek allegiance to the same party every election cycle, while some voters from certain states regularly shift their allegiance to either of the two parties. Thus, choosing the right candidate can be a challenging task for anyone and it reflects in the recent poll conducted by Rutgers-Eagleton Poll in New Jersey and New York areas.
A survey of the Garden State residents revealed anxiety and worry to be at the top of the list of voter sentiments. More than 57 percent of the voters in the Garden State area reported being anxious, nervous, uneasy, scared or worried going into the elections.
With the margins between the two candidates being so fine, it is not easy for Americans to choose a winner. Kamala, who entered the race mid-way, had been comfortably leading the polls for the past couple of months, until last month when Donald Trump’s poll rating spiked. However, latest US polling data suggests that Donald Trump has a marginal lead over Harris in all the key seven swing states.
AtlasIntel found that Trump had 52.3% vs Harris 45.8% in Arizona, 51.2% vs Harris 46% in Nevada, and 50.5% vs Harris 47.1% in North Carolina. Trump was also ahead in Georgia 50.1% vs 47.6%, 49.7 vs 48.2% in Michigan, 49.6% vs 47.8% in Pennsylvania and 49.7% vs 48.6% in Wisconsin. Overall, Trump is leading the polls with 49 percent votes, while Kamala is trailing at 47.2 percent.
Only 8 percent of the respondents surveyed towards the end of October stated that they were excited, optimistic or hopeful about the upcoming elections. However, many respondents surveyed suggested feelings of stress, disappointment and physical illness.
Respondents held bleak views about the general overall political atmosphere in the country, viewing it as something they are dissatisfied with and not proud of. Forty percent of the respondents said they were not proud of the incredibly corroded political landscape in America. While, another 38 percent reported never feeling enthusiastic about the swiftly changing political American landscape. Similarly, 32 percent said they are constantly worried about the outcome of the elections and the direction America is moving in. While, another 35 percent said, they feel worried most of the time by America’s trajectory as an economic superpower.
Americans have been unfamiliar with the recent economic shift or a slowdown it has been experiencing. High inflation rates, rising housing prices and the slowing rate of employment has been a cause of concern for many Americans. Geopolitical tensions, the wars in Ukraine and the rising conflict in the Middle East have added to the domestic stressors. Even after a soft rebound in inflation rates, GDP growth still remains sluggish, way lower than the peaks associated with the American economy.
With domestic and international stressors massively weighing America down, voters turn to the candidates of America’s two prominent political parties to offer them some saving grace. The flailing American economy has been the biggest worry for most Americans, especially the young Americans are finding it increasingly difficult to find decent employment opportunities and buy their own homes.
To add to the American dilemma, the election race has never been so tight in previous elections. In earlier cycles, the margin between candidates was much wider leading up to elections. However, with the candidates having switched leads, closing in to the elections has made it difficult to gauge a clear winner. At this point, the election can go either way with both candidates putting their best foot forward to urge Americans for votes.
The survey also revealed a sentiment of anger and resentment among American voters. Nearly 12 percent of the voters said they were “always” angry, 29 percent said they were angry “most of the time” and 21 percent half of the time. According to the survey, independents were less likely to report feelings of pride and enthusiasm about politics compared to their partisan counterparts. While, both independents and partisan factions reported feeling equally angry at all times and almost always worried.
New York and New Jersey voters have preferred the Democratic Party over the Republican Party over the last few elections, however, Trump is growing in preference in the two states. Trump’s unlikely lead in all of the key seven states makes matters worse for Americans who are still to vote. Voters want their votes to count, they want the candidate that they vote for to win, people are also swayed by the appeal of being part of the majority rather than choosing a candidate who is best suited to take the country forward, a candidate with the appropriate credentials to take the President’s office.
That said, Donald Trump voters in these states associated terms like “extreme” and “incompetent” with Trump, while labels like “empathetic” and “trustworthy” were associated with Harris. 61 percent of voters thought of Trump as extreme, as compared to 18 percent of the voters that associated extremism with Kamala. While, Harris was viewed as emphatic and trustworthy by 53 percent of the voters in these states, as compared to 19 percent of those who saw Trump as empathetic.
Forty percent of voters saw Trump as more patriotic than Harris, while only 37 percent saw her as more patriotic than Trump. The survey interviewed 1,018 adults between Oct.15 to Oct. 22 also found that more than 40 percent of the respondents viewed Harris as a stronger candidate than Trump, while an equal percentage of voters viewed Trump as the stronger candidate.
With less than a day left for the 2024 American elections, tensions will be rising among the 244 million eligible American voters who will take to the polls to vote for their preferred Presidential candidate. More than 75 millions Americans have had their say by voting early in the elections, now the fate of America’s future will be on the voters that are still to vote.
