(NewsNation) — Anger among voters is again proving to be a critical issue in the race for the White House between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
But unlike in 2020 when Trump was the incumbent and voters instead elected his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, the emotions are being directed in a different manner, NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo said.
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“This time, even though Harris had to get swapped in, it’s on her watch,” Cuomo said. “The metric is still the same, we’re just watching it play out in micro-fashion, which is, were more people going to walk away from how angry they are, how frustrated they are, how disaffected they are because of Trump or are they going to walk away from Harris because of the status quo in favor of the grievance? That’s what will decide it.”
Inflation and other economic issues are driving voter anger, but NewsNation’s Leland Vittert says the emotions are more personal. Meanwhile, NewsNation’s Elizabeth Vargas said that in states where ballot measures involving abortion and women’s reproductive rights, women have felt far less urgency.
“It’s (about) who’s more angry right now,” Vittert said.
Vittert said that in 2016, the anger was coming from rural America. Four years later, it was being directed at Trump from more liberal progressive Americans, which kept him from securing a second term in the White House.
“Now you’re seeing, it this holds, it’s a theme. It is rural America and traditional America, which means it doesn’t have to do with race. It doesn’t have as much to do with gender It has to do with education, class status, where you live, and value system.”