A race that promises to be close

“There is something dangerous happening in America right now. There is an extremist movement that does not share the core beliefs of our democracy: the MAGA movement […]. He does not hide his attacks. He promotes it openly, attacking the free press as an enemy of the people, attacking the rule of law as an obstruction, and inciting voter suppression and election sabotage. »

As the decisive election campaign approaches, President Joe Biden is increasing his warnings about the dangers to American democracy. He made this statement in Tempe, Arizona, while honoring the late Republican Senator John McCain.

The MAGA movement is the rallying cry used by Donald Trump since 2016: Make America great again (Make America Great Again). This movement is still very much alive, as shown by polls that put the former president firmly in the lead to win the Republican primary.

What I find troubling about the support Donald Trump receives is that it bears many of the traits of a cult.

Bruce Strokes is a visiting fellow at the German Marshall Fund and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, an American think tank

In a presentation during a webinar organized by the Canadian Institute of World Affairs earlier in September, Mr. Strokes noted that 71% of Donald Trump’s supporters say they have more confidence in the former president than their religious leaders, according to a poll. Conducted by CBS. “They also trust Trump more than their friends and family. This is very close to what you would find in worship. Moreover, Trump succeeded in convincing his supporters that an attack on him was an attack on them. »

About a year before the presidential election, political stars are lining up to witness a rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. All opinion polls published in recent months indicate that the battle will be very close.

One question that remains unanswered is whether Donald Trump will be barred from running a third election campaign by the courts. In two states – Colorado and Minnesota – citizens took legal action to declare him ineligible because of the role he played in the attack on the Capitol. In both proceedings, Section 3 of 14^H An amendment to the United States Constitution, which states that a person who has taken an oath to defend the basic law of the land becomes ineligible after “participating in insurrection or rebellion” against state officials. It remains difficult to evaluate the chances of success of these methods.

Weak boss

According to former Georgia Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss, who served in the Senate from 2003 to 2015, four factors will guide voters’ choices during the presidential campaign: the economy, national security, the crime rate in major cities, and the arrival of large numbers of immigrants to cities. . Migrants at the US-Mexico border, and the health condition of the outgoing president.

In an interview given to JournalismHe said President Biden is weak on several fronts. In Congress, Mr. Chambliss represented a state that played a key role in Joe Biden’s victory in 2020. Demographic changes meant that Georgia, a Republican stronghold, became a swing state in the last election.

“We’re almost here [un an] From the elections. In politics, it is immortality. Many events could happen between now and November 2024. But the economy remains the most important issue. People in America tend to vote based on issues that affect their pocketbooks, as is the case in other democracies. Our economy is still suffering post-coronavirus. Overall, Biden’s policies have not moved the economic needle in a direction that might favor his administration next year.

The migration crisis has “exploded” south of the border, and the Biden administration has long “turned a blind eye” to the issue, according to Mr. Chambliss, who also served in the House of Representatives for four terms, from 1995 to 2003. He remains involved in the intelligence community.

The financial and military support that the United States has given to Ukraine so far is not unanimous among the political class and the population. “The conflict in Ukraine divides Americans. Should the United States continue its current efforts or should we leave this conflict to the Europeans? We are not the mayor of the planet, even if we are militarily the most powerful country in the world,” he stressed.

The former senator confirms that the upcoming elections will be very close, as presidential elections have been since the end of Ronald Reagan’s era. “Our country is very divided,” he said, stressing that Donald Trump’s victory should not be ruled out. “I believe the Biden administration will have difficulty convincing a majority of voters because of the prevailing issues we face right now. The Trump administration’s policies have also been very good for our economy. People remember him. »

Regardless of the outcome of the presidential campaign, he stresses that relations between Canada and the United States “will remain strong.”