Electric poll surge
WASHINGTON: As the US election campaign entered its first official week — following the two parties’ national conventions over the past fortnight — polls and betting odds suggest Donald Trump is closing the gap on his Democratic rival Joe Biden.
Mr Biden is still leading the polls overall, but the President is standing strong on the economy. And his focus on law and order in the wake of violent protests is resonating with voters.
According to data by pollster Gallup, his economic approval rating continues to linger about 50 per cent.
This gives him a higher rating on economic issues than his predecessor, Barack Obama, when he ran for reelection in 2012.
Perhaps more telling — given the inaccuracy of the polls in 2016, which predicted a win for Hillary Clinton — the betting markets have moved decisively in favour of the President.
Mr Biden was the clear favourite two weeks ago, but most bookies now have the two candidates level-pegging.
On Betfair, the odds of a Trump win have surged from 41 per cent to 49 per cent.
The driving force behind the change is the continuing violent Black Lives Matter protests, which have escalated in the wake of the shooting of black man Jacob Blake in Wisconsin a week ago.
The violence in a number of Democrat-controlled cities, including New York and Chicago, is now overshadowing the coronavirus as the central issue of this campaign.
Sensing this, Mr Trump has put all his focus on the protests, while Mr Biden is still basing his attacks on Mr Trump on his failure to control the virus, and his persistent disregard for masks and social-distancing restrictions.
At a campaign rally in New Hampshire on the weekend, Mr Trump escalated his attack on Mr Biden, the Democrats and protesters who are demonstrating against police brutality and racism. “Today’s Democrat Party is filled with hate,” he said.
“Just look at the Joe Biden supporters on the street, screaming and shouting at bystanders with unhinged, manic rage.
“They are not protesters. Those are anarchists, they are agitators, they are rioters, they are looters.”
After the rally, the President visited Louisiana and Texas in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura. Wearing a red “USA” cap but no mask, Mr Trump toured a neighbourhood in Lake Charles, Louisiana, to inspect the damage, where thousands of people are still without power and running water.
Asked about his response to the disaster, he replied: “I haven’t had one complaint.”
The storm, which struck the coast of Louisiana on Friday (AEST), has been blamed for at least 14 deaths in Louisiana and Texas.
Meanwhile, Mr Biden — who has been attacked mercilessly by Mr Trump for “hiding in his basement” at his home in Delaware — said he would rejoin the campaign trail after Labor Day next Monday, September 7.
“I’m going to be going up into Wisconsin and Minnesota, spending time in Pennsylvania, out in Arizona — but we’re going to do it in a way that is totally consistent with being responsible, unlike what this guy’s doing,” he said, referring to Mr Trump’s flouting of virus restrictions.