The US Presidential Election Kickoff Just Began... A Clash Between Lavish Endorsement Speeches and TV Shows

Democrats and Republicans to Hold National Conventions Sequentially Next Week
Democrats Receive Support from Prominent Figures Including Sanders and the Obamas
Trump Mobilizes Family for Convention Rivaling TV Show... "Acceptance Speech to Be at the White House"

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The U.S. presidential election race is set to intensify with the upcoming party conventions starting next week. With President Donald Trump significantly trailing Democratic candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, it remains to be seen whether Trump can lay the groundwork for a comeback or if Biden will solidify his lead through the conventions.

In particular, the surge of Senator Kamala Harris, Biden’s vice presidential pick, and the issue of mail-in voting are expected to be the biggest variables during the remaining period.

The Democratic convention begins first. The Democratic National Convention will be held from the 17th to the 20th (local time) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Although there is a physical venue, the event will essentially be conducted in a virtual meeting format. Unable to hold large gatherings in a gymnasium, the Democrats plan to deploy a star-studded lineup of speakers to gain early momentum. Speakers at the Democratic convention include Senator Bernie Sanders, who competed against Biden in the primaries, as well as former President Barack Obama and his wife.

Donald Trump, President of the United States
Photo by EPA Yonhap News

The Republican convention, which opens on the 24th in Charlotte, North Carolina, has drastically limited attendance to about 500 people due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19. President Trump initially insisted on holding a large-scale event but could not overcome the backlash from fears of the pandemic. Masks will be mandatory at the convention, and Bluetooth technology will be used to track attendees' movements. It is presumed that President Trump intends to make the most of the changed event format.

Although specific speech plans for the convention have not been announced, Fox News reported that the Trump camp is mobilizing family members to turn the party convention into a TV show. Having hosted TV reality shows before, President Trump sees this as an opportunity to overwhelm Biden. The acceptance speech of the nominee is also a key highlight of this convention. While no official announcement has been made, President Donald Trump mentioned in an interview with the New York Post on the 13th that he plans to deliver his acceptance speech on the White House lawn. He had previously stated he would choose between Gettysburg battlefield and the White House as the venue for his acceptance speech. Meanwhile, former Vice President Biden is expected to give his acceptance speech from his home in Delaware.

The gap in support between the two remains large. According to a Monmouth University poll released on the 11th, Biden’s support stands at 51%, leading President Trump’s 41% by 10 percentage points, though the gap has slightly narrowed. In a June poll, Biden had 52% and Trump 39%.

The 'Kamala' effect and the mail-in voting issue are expected to draw the most attention at this convention. Since being named the vice presidential candidate, Kamala Harris has begun to fill Biden’s weaknesses and create a synergy effect. Harris launched a fierce attack on Trump at her first official appearance after the nomination and held a joint press conference on the 13th, urging mandatory mask-wearing, marking two consecutive days of simultaneous appearances. This joint effort seems aimed at maximizing early synergy effects.

CNN evaluated, "Harris has shown why Biden chose her," meaning she has effectively fulfilled the role Biden expected when selecting her.

President Trump has relentlessly targeted the mail-in voting issue. He stated his opposition to funding for the financially struggling postal service, which is unfavorable to him due to mail-in voting. In an interview with Fox Business on the same day, Trump said, "I will not agree to any bill that makes mail-in voting easier," and claimed, "Mail-in voting will lead to fraud."

In the 2016 presidential election, about 33 million U.S. voters used mail-in ballots, but approximately 73,000 ballots arrived after the counting deadline and were ultimately discarded. The Democrats have proposed allocating $25 billion to the postal service to address such issues.

President Trump criticized, "The Democrats want to allocate about $3 billion of that for mail-in voting, which essentially becomes their campaign funds." Biden responded, calling it "very Trump-like" and said, "He does not want to hold an election."