Just over a month and 150 kilometers of distance have separated the conventions of the two major American parties this year. A shower of confetti and the release of tens of thousands of balloons in the colors of the American flag—red, white and blue—marked the end of the party in two interchangeable images, if not for the enormous gold balloons (the favorite color of Donald Trump) with which the Republicans have innovated. In addition to the staging, both conventions have shared a mood. Hailed as a semi-divine hero who had survived an attack a few days earlier and with a rival—Joe Biden—on the line, Trump left Milwaukee convinced that his victory in the presidential elections on November 5 was inevitable. In a campaign full of dramatic plot twists, the coronation of Kamala Harris as a candidate a month later has brought enthusiasm to the Democratic ranks in Chicago and unnerved the former president. After two triumphant conventions, just two and a half months of campaigning will decide Biden's replacement in the White House, with the debate on September 10 as the next big event.
The Harris exam has only just begun. She has not yet given any press conference or in-depth interview — she has promised one for next week — to face questions about her management over these years, her future plans and his changes of mind. She has abandoned, for example, her opposition to fracking and the proposal for universal health coverage, her star measures when running in the primaries in 2019, in her attempt to offer herself as a pragmatic and trustworthy ruler. For now, the vice president has not felt the need to submit to media questioning. She benefits from the wave of popularity and enthusiasm that she has awakened in just five weeks, a honeymoon with voters that has skyrocketed her popularity and placed her in the lead in voting intentions.
The roadmap to the general election is coming into sharper focus, with battlegrounds that Democrats largely considered lost during Biden's campaign now suddenly competitive. North Carolina, Nevada, Arizona and Georgia offer a path — and a potential insurance policy — beyond the blue states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Harris is scheduled to visit Georgia next week, according to her aides, in addition to making a limited number of campaign stops as she urgently focuses on preparations for the next two weeks' debates. He spends at least part of each day familiarizing himself with Trump's record — and statements — as he approaches September 10 with the diligence of a trial lawyer he once was.
