Poll rematch set to deepen divide in US
Biden, Trump clinch nominations, setting stage for lengthy, bitter battle
WASHINGTON — US President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump have secured enough delegates to become their parties’ presidential nominees, setting the stage for the first election rematch in nearly 70 years, a battle that is noted as “the longest, most expensive and, perhaps, most divisive presidential race in recent memory” by the US media.
With his win in Georgia’s primary, Biden has cleared the 1,968 delegate mark out of 3,934 total to lock up this year’s Democratic nomination and represent the party on the ballot in November.
Biden will also win the Democratic primaries in the states of Mississippi and Washington, US media outlets said on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Trump has secured enough delegates to become the Republican Party’s presidential nominee after winning primaries in the states of Georgia, Mississippi and Washington.
Biden and Trump have ratcheted up rhetoric against each other after the “Super Tuesday” primaries earlier this month, when they both won by a landslide in their own party’s faceoffs. The lengthy, bitter battle for the White House, poised to deepen the US political divides, is entering a new phase.
Biden recently told supporters in Atlanta, Georgia, that if Trump returns to the White House, the country will be filled with “resentment, revenge and retribution”.
In a video posted on social media, Trump said there was no time to celebrate, and instead put the focus on beating Biden, whom he called the “worst” president in US history.
Biden unseated Trump in the 2020 election but the Republicans refused to acknowledge defeat and alleged massive voter fraud.
The Washington Post noted that the 2024 general election, which has kicked off in earnest, is promising to be “the longest, most expensive and, perhaps, most divisive presidential race in recent memory”.
A report from AdImpact, an ad tracking company, predicted the current election cycle will be the most expensive one in US history, as candidates spend an overall $10 billion, up 13 percent from the previous record set during the 20192020 election cycle.
US citizens are split on who they trust to do a better job, according to a new ABC News/Ipsos poll, with 36 percent trusting Trump, 33 percent trusting Biden, and about 30 percent trusting neither.
The last repeat presidential matchup took place in 1956, when Republican president Dwight Eisenhower defeated former Illinois governor Adlai Stevenson, a Democrat, for the second time.
Little enthusiasm
This year, voters have expressed little enthusiasm for a repeat of the bitter 2020 election, with Reuters/ Ipsos public poll showing both Biden and Trump are unpopular with the majority of voters.
Trump’s myriad criminal charges, he faces 91 felony counts across four separate indictments, could harm his standing among the suburban, well-educated voters whose support he has historically struggled to garner.
Biden has been dogged by the perception among a majority of voters that he is too old to serve a second four-year term, though allies believe his fiery State of the Union address may serve to counter that notion.
The ongoing crisis at the US-Mexico border, where an influx of migrants has overwhelmed the system, is another weakness for Biden. He has sought to transfer the blame to Trump after the former president urged congressional Republicans to kill a bipartisan border security bill that would have stepped up enforcement.
The economy, as always, will be a central campaign issue.
Biden has presided over an expanding economy, with inflationary pressure easing and stocks hitting all-time highs. But polls show US citizens are unwilling to credit the president and are frustrated about high prices of items like food in the wake of the pandemic.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday that the presidential election is the domestic affair of the US, which China will not interfere in.
Wang stressed that a good SinoUS relationship serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and the two peoples, and meets the expectation of the international community.
“No matter who gets to be the next US president, we hope that Beijing and Washington can work in the same direction and follow the principle of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation to promote the stable, sound and sustainable development of bilateral ties,” he said.