Tom Minear: What ordinary Americans teach us about Trump vs Harris
While Australians watch the US election like a Hollywood movie, it has real-life consequences for Americans. This is what Tom Minear has learned from speaking to scores of them.
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I’ve spent the past month interviewing scores of voters in our United Mates tour of the US.
In Brisbane, Melbourne, Hobart, Perth, Adelaide and Sydney, many Americans have often had a question for me too: why do Australians care about November’s US election?
I suspect the answer is two-fold. The US is our most critical ally, and although the relationship has bipartisan support, it will move in different directions depending on whether Donald Trump or Kamala Harris wins.
The layer below is that we watch the race between them as though it is a Hollywood movie, be it drama, comedy or horror.
Of course, for the voters I’ve met, this campaign has real-life consequences, and listening to them can help us understand what is happening in the US. This is some of what I’ve learned.
Trump is a finished product; Harris is a blank canvas.
The ex-president’s critics think he is a liar, a racist and a sore loser, while his supporters see a strongman who runs the country like a business, a persona honed years before he entered politics. As for the Vice President, many have only just begun paying attention to her, explaining her sudden popularity spike.
Personalities matter more than policies. Few voters have absorbed any detailed promises, and while many want cheaper petrol and food, they don’t always blame Harris for high prices and they don’t know how Trump would reduce them. It is the character of the candidates that is dictating voting decisions.
Many Trump supporters are holding their noses. They complain about his behaviour, criminal and otherwise. But these conservatives – many of whom are pro-life Christians – would still rather vote for an imperfect Republican than a Democrat.
Even Joe Biden’s biggest fans are glad he’s not running. The President had refused to drop out because he claimed party elites were plotting against him. Instead, his grassroots supporters were wondering why it was taking him so long to come to grips with reality.
Common facts are hard to find. The criminal charges against Trump are often manipulated by his supporters, while others simply disassociate themselves from them. Conspiracies about election fraud and the January 6 riot are troublingly widespread.
Whoever wins has little hope of bringing the US together. Americans all care about their country, but Harris voters are considering leaving if Trump wins, while Trump voters think America is doomed if Harris wins. The political divide runs deep.
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