By: Ani Nrusimha
Drumroll, please. This election season is starting to heat up, and with less than two months to go both candidates are preparing for the most important part of the election cycle. This is the last opportunity for each candidate to cement their positions, and with debates right around the corner, the first opportunity for the candidates to go head to head should be exciting. But, to understand these debates, we have to view the state of the race from the candidate’s perspective.
For the Clinton campaign: In terms of polling, Drumpf has closed the gap with Hillary by a substantial margin, lowering the once 6-7 point lead on average to a 2-3 point lead. This has come on the back of more trouble from the email controversy. However, she has been doing much more practice for the debate, and still holds a small edge. Looking at the pattern the race has followed thus far, it seems as though her advantage has shrunk numerous times, but a single rough week on the part of Drumpf turns the tide substantially. The goal for her campaign is to break the dead heat in a decisive debate win.
The Drumpf Campaign. The poll increases seem to be stagnating, making the race very close to a dead heat. However, Drumpf has recently avoided some of his most controversial positions in favor of more general and central parts of his position. He has somewhat recovered from the drop in polls he experienced.
This debate is unlikely to have a minor effect on the polls. With the very high number of undecided or third party voters, a strong showing could propel either candidate to a solid lead.
