Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris (Photo: Getty)

Kamala Harris’s honeymoon

 The Democratic National Convention held from August 19-22 in Chicago, Illinois, affirmed Kamala Harris's strength within the party after President Joe Biden endorsed her to take his place in the race on July 21. The Democratic Party has unified around Harris and her running mate Tim Walz. Almost every prominent Democratic politician, from former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama to former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, have endorsed Kamala.

The excitement and confidence of the Democratic Party is reflected in the 540 million USD raised for Harris last month, higher than the amount raised by Joe Biden or his Republican opponent, Donald Trump, so far this year. Polls have shown Harris and Walz gaining on and now leading Donald Trump and JD Vance by 4-7 points nationwide.

Analysts say Harris' honeymoon has lasted longer than anyone expected. But Jennifer Lawless, Professor of Political Science at the University of Virginia, says every honeymoon must end and Harris will have to debate Donald Trump in early September.

"Avoiding loss of momentum is a challenge, but I think there are a few things the Democrats can do. The first is to continue to highlight this underdog status that they've embraced,” said Lawless. 

Allan Lichtman, a historian at American University, said the US economy will be another challenge for Harris. “I’d like a little more detail on her particular proposal on the economy. I understand that NDC is not an appropriate place to mention a detailed policy prescription. But if there is any criticism, this is the point.”

What is Donald Trump’s strategy?

While Harris has maintained her momentum and gotten a big boost from the Democratic National Convention, Donald Trump's campaign has been floundering.

Professor Lichtman said Trump and his campaign team haven’t found an appropriate strategy since Biden withdrew and Harris replaced him. Trump has focused on personal criticisms of Harris rather than attacking the Democratic Party's policy proposals. And Trump has been holding fewer rallies in key states.

Observers say it’s still too early to say that Trump is losing to Harris, because he is still perceived as being better able to manage the economy than Harris.

In a recent survey by the Wall Street Journal, more than 50% of respondents said Trump can handle the economy better. Only 40% said Harris would be better. Among independent voters, 57% believe in Trump's ability to manage the economy, and only 25% believe in Harris.

Professor Jennifer Lawless said “Donald Trump should do a couple of things. The first is he needs a debate performance that highlights that he is disciplined and able to stick to the issues. His first term let to a lot of problems for the Biden administration, so the other thing that Donald Trump needs to do is to show voters that voting for him is a progress.”

Observers say the upcoming debate scheduled for September 10 between Trump and Harris will be crucial because it could be the sole head-to-head confrontation between the two candidates before the election. The debate winner will have a huge advantage on November 5.