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There are only about 20 days left until the US presidential election, and for some undecided voters who could tip the scales in favour of Donald Trump or Kamala Harris, the choice is a difficult one.
“I watch the news all the time and I’m exhausted,” confides Lisa, a Pennsylvania voter who doesn’t like either the Republican billionaire or the Democratic vice president.
“I have to vote, but I wish we had better options,” sighs the 55-year-old woman during an anonymous focus group hosted this week by the public opinion consultancy Engagious.
Donald Trump “has good business sense and the economy was better when he was there, at least regarding inflation,” she emphasizes.
But if the former president regains the White House, she fears his “negativity towards certain populations, certain religious groups, racism” and “that he will take revenge” on his opponents.
Driven by strong religious convictions, this health insurance broker could support Kamala Harris, but is scalded by her vigorous defense of the right to abortion.
“I have a lot of trouble with this subject,” confides this independent voter, who voted for Donald Trump in 2016, then Joe Biden in 2020, like all the voters surveyed by Engagious.
The United States still has 5% of undecided voters, according to a study published Tuesday by the American Public Media Research Lab.
An ultra-coveted minority, particularly in the handful of key states (Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada) that will decide the election.
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« Same disdain »
These voters “don’t like to be rushed, and they have a similar disdain for both major candidates,” observes Rich Thau, the CEO of Engagious, which conducts focus groups in a different swing state each month.
The thunderclap of President Joe Biden’s withdrawal this summer hasn’t made things any easier for them. Because compared to Donald Trump and his violent rhetoric, Kamala Harris suffers from a lack of notoriety.
“They are forced to choose between someone they don't like and someone they don't know,” Mr. Thau summarizes for AFP.
Despite the presidential debate in early September, Bob is struggling to define what Mrs. Harris' presidency would look like.
“I don't know what her position is on anything, deep down,” sighs this 45-year-old Pennsylvanian.
The Democrat claims to want to tax the richest and help small businesses. But her image has been tarnished by some reversals, such as on hydraulic fracturing: after opposing this controversial hydrocarbon extraction process, she supports this job-creating industry in Pennsylvania.
She also regularly highlights her career as a magistrate in California. A bit of a short argument for Bob.
“She was a good prosecutor […], but that doesn't really help me get a sense of what she can do for the country in general,” he continues.
“Keeping her promises”
“Will she keep her promises ??” wonders Glenda, 41. “I'm leaning toward her, but I'm not ready to take that step yet.”
This African-American voter appreciates the Democrat's pro-abortion rhetoric. But “it's not the only thing I'll take into account regarding the next president,” she adds.
The Pennsylvanian remains marked by the inflation of recent years and the surge in real estate in the United States. A field on which Donald Trump scores points.
She nevertheless criticizes the Republican tribune for having described climate change as a “myth” in 2018.
Donald Trump “can sometimes be very irrational in his speeches, his positions, his actions”, agrees Greg, another independent voter.
But this forty-year-old admits to being “afraid” of Ms. Harris's “lack of experience” “in a position like the presidency”.
In the final stretch of the campaign, last-minute controversies further complicate the choice.
Lisa, the insurance broker, remains dismayed by Donald Trump's lies about the government's handling of hurricanes Helene and Milton.
“It makes me feel negative emotions toward him. So I want to see how it's going to go,” she says. “A lot can happen in the next month.”