It's Sept. 11. Take a minute to remember the 2,977 innocent people who died 23 years ago today in the terrorist attacks.

It's the Debate You Expected

Last night, of course, was the first (and probably only) presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. If you wish to watch it, you can do so here:

Let us also take this opportunity to remind readers that we write up our comments before reading or hearing what anyone else has to say. So, if we appear to be writing from la-la land, that is why. Also, as best as possible, we try to see things through the eyes of low-information voters. Such folks might learn something new from what they saw on screen. Someone who is high-information enough to read this site? Not so many but there are undoubtedly some well-educated Republican readers who prioritize tax cuts and are torn about who to vote for.

Anyhow, the executive summary of the debate, at least as we see it, is this: Harris clearly won. There is no dominant storyline that will emerge from the debate, like "Joe Biden is clearly falling apart." Nor are there any meme-y moments that will enter the annals of presidential debate lore, like "There is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe" or "binders full of women" or "There you go again." Nonetheless, Harris clearly came out on top.

We organized our previous debate write-up around each of the "players" on stage, and we see no reason to change that approach. And so, here we go:

• Kamala Harris: Our guess is that Harris, who is still working to introduce herself to the American people, did not enter the debate looking for a home run. More like a solid double (sorry to our European readers who don't know baseball; Euro translation: Harris was not trying to score a goal, she just wanted to get a few good corner kicks in). Certainly, a double is what she produced.
  
  Harris' answers were measured and were very competent. Not exciting, generally, but competent. Compared to what happened with Joe Biden... well, "competent" should have Democrats dancing naked in the streets. Harris made sure to get the highlights of her résumé in there—prosecutor, has negotiated with foreign leaders, cast the tiebreaking vote on the infrastructure bill—and she came off as presidential. This is what she needed to accomplish.
  
  Her other goal, which was significant enough that it could be listed as Goal 1B, was to take Donald Trump down a few pegs. One way to do that was to associate him with unpopular policies and decisions, which she worked mightily to do. She referred to "HIS Project 2025" and the "Trump sales tax" and made sure to point out that the border bill was killed on his orders.
  
  In particular, of course, Harris wanted to make the case that Trump is not pro-women. As one of her several soundbites, she blamed Trump for Dobbs, and referred to the resulting policy outcomes as the "Trump abortion ban." That said, if there was a moment that REALLY cost Trump the votes of some women, it was a moment that likely won't be mentioned in many write-ups, because it's hard to describe. Nonetheless, there was a time when Trump was answering a question, and Harris said something that only he could hear (because her mic was off). He was already steaming because she'd just pooh-poohed his success as a businessman, and this is how he reacted to her talking at the same time as him:
  
  
  
  You really should watch it; it's only 10 seconds or so. Maybe we are making mountains out of molehills here, but the dynamic there certainly made our skin crawl. In many workplaces, a man addressing a woman like that could get himself into big trouble.
  
  Of course, Harris gets some of the credit (if you want to call it that) for that interaction, because she'd been needling Trump, and trying to get him to react. She successfully managed to get under his skin a few other times, most notably when she turned to the camera and invited viewers to attend one of Trump's rallies and see that the crowds are small and that people often get bored and leave early. He did NOT like that:
  
  
  
  This one, you have to watch about a minute to get the full experience. If you don't want to do that, Trump basically blew his top and insisted that he has the biggest, bestest rallies anyone has ever had.
  
  We'll say a couple more things about Harris that are pretty closely related. First, she used the politician's trick of answering the question you wanted to answer, rather than the question you were asked, very liberally (no pun intended). So did Trump, of course; when Harris did it, she was usually in the same ZIP Code as the question. Trump, often not so much.
  
  Second, once we are done writing our comments, we'll be interested to look at what the fact-checkers have to say. On one hand, they tend to find things to talk about for both candidates, in the name of "fairness." On the other hand, Trump told whopper after whopper after whopper. So, Daniel Dale & Co. aren't going to have a problem filling column inches. Harris, for her part, was actually very careful to avoid even politician lies (far more careful than Biden was). We are reasonably well informed, presumably, and were watching to see when she might indulge in a little spin, and she basically didn't do it. The biggest "lie" she told, we would say, was her assertion that the "Trump sales tax" would add 20% to the cost of goods. She didn't explain that very well, but it was presumably a reference to the impact of his tariffs. If so, it's a mild pants-on-fire moment, at most.
  
  
• Donald Trump: Let's start with the good news for Trump. His debate prep was reportedly lackadaisical. Maybe that is true, and maybe it's a lie told in order to manage expectations. Whatever the case may be, the first third (or maybe even half) of the debate went pretty well for him. Yes, the fact that he made a beeline for his podium and tried to avoid shaking hands with Harris was not a great look, but beyond that, for 30-40 minutes he had plausible answers to most questions and he managed to maintain a reasonable level of discipline, including avoiding his notorious "air accordion."
  
  The problem is that, in the end, Trump gotta Trump. And as the debate wore on, his discipline eroded, and the things that tend to damage him emerged in full force. To start with, and as we have already made note, there are the lies. Again, we try to watch the debate through low-information eyes, as best we can. And here is a (non-exhaustive) selection of things Trump said that we would guess don't pass the smell test with anyone:
  
  
  • Every legal scholar, every Democrat, every Republican, liberal, conservative, they all wanted [abortion access] to be brought back to the states where the people could vote. And that's what happened, happened.
    
    
  • Now she wants to do transgender operations on illegal aliens that are in prison.
    
    
  • If she's president, I believe that Israel will not exist within two years from now.
    
    
  • In Springfield, they're eating the dogs. The [undocumented immigrants] that came in. They're eating the cats. They're eating—they're eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is what's happening in our country. And it's a shame.
  
  That last one is very nearly a literal racist dog bullhorn, as the implication is that it's Asians (e.g., the hated Chinese) plus Haitians (who come from a sh**hole country) who are eating people's dogs and cats. This one was such a howler that the moderators, who were apparently prepared for Trump to go there, pushed back and said they had double-checked with officials in Springfield and it's not true. One of us, (V), who heard that thought Trump was just out of his mind loony and telling his base: "If you vote for her, some immigrant will come eat your puppy" but (V) missed the racist bullhorn. Maybe there were other racist bullhorns that we both missed but could have been picked up either by the intended audience (who will love it) or the targets of the attack (who will hate it).
  
  In addition, particularly as his discipline began to break down, Trump also did a number of self-owns (for the Europeans: own goals). For example, at one point, he talked about how solar energy is evil and retrograde, but then talked about how much he loves solar energy. On another occasion, he talked about how horrible Obamacare is and then took credit for saving the program. Also, near the end, he was asked about Kamala Harris' race, and he gave the "disciplined" response (I don't care), but then just could not help himself, and went on a tirade about how she's not really Black. If you would like to watch that moment, here it is:
  
  
  
  As he was going off the rails, he also slipped in a quick reference to Harris having gotten where she's gotten because "she put out." We presume that women voters are just going to love that, too.
  
  There is also one moment that we're not sure how to categorize. Lie? Self-own? Both? Something else? About a week ago, Trump admitted that he lost the 2020 election "by a whisker." We did not even bother to write an item about it, because there was no way he was going to stick with that. And indeed, when asked about it last night, he claimed that he was joking when he said that, and that he still believes the election was stolen. Trump's advisors must have been tearing their hair out, because that claim does not help him at all.
  
  Trump also made clear, at least to those who recognize these names, that he lives in a bubble. When he was pressed on his controversial remarks after Charlottesville, he said that reporters have supported his version of events. Which reporters (or, really, "reporters")? Laura Ingraham, Sean Hannity and Jesse Waters, all of them mainstays of Trump's beloved Fox. Later, when pushing back against Harris' claim that foreign leaders laugh at Trump, he said that lots of foreign leaders think he's great, and specifically cited... Viktor Orbán. These are not the world's best sources, to say the least. Well, maybe for the base they are, but he needs some non-base votes.
  
  So, that's the good and the bad for Trump. And now, something in the "we're not sure" category. Obviously, one of Trump's main goals last night was to make Joe Biden into an anchor around Harris' neck. This is a tricky business, because he wants to saddle her with the bad, while giving her no credit for the good (and she, of course, wants the opposite). Early on, he had a pretty effective line that Harris "has no policy" and that she's getting everything from Biden. He also got in a few lines blaming her for the border situation.
  
  However, as his discipline began to fade, his assertions got more outlandish, enough so that Harris said "You're not running against Joe Biden, you're running against me." The most obvious example came when Trump suggested they shut down the debate, and that Harris return immediately to Washington and sign a bill closing the border. Needless to say, it doesn't work like that, on several levels, and presumably even low-information voters are aware of it.
  
  So, we just don't know if Trump was successful in sticking Harris with Biden's baggage. Our guess is "probably not," but we're not certain enough to go with it.
  
  
• The Moderators: We think that the moderators, Linsey Davis and David Muir, were about as good as is possible when you have Donald Trump on stage. They were clearly well prepared, they asked some good questions, and they were certainly better than Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.
  
  As we note above, both candidates dodged questions. In some cases, Davis or Muir tried to bring them back on point, albeit not with much success. Further, Davis and Muir also pushed back against some of the lies that Trump told. Not all of them, which would be difficult, but some. We think moderators should feel free to do that.
  
  Our biggest complaint about the moderating is that Trump was allowed to seize the stage at least a half a dozen times when it was not his turn to speak, thus giving him probably 8-9 minutes of extra camera time to which he was not entitled. If the microphones can be shut off when it's not someone's turn, then why wasn't Trump's mic shut off? Although, that said, the Harris campaign was probably happy about it, since the extra stuff from Trump was invariably ranting, or rant-adjacent.
  
  
• Taylor Swift: No, Taylor Swift was not on stage. And yet, it's at least possible that she'll be the biggest story of the night. Shortly after the debate ended, Swift posted this message to Instagram:

  Like many of you, I watched the debate tonight. If you haven't already, now is a great time to do your research on the issues at hand and the stances these candidates take on the topics that matter to you the most. As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about their proposed policies and plans for this country.
  
  Recently I was made aware that AI of 'me' falsely endorsing Donald Trump's presidential run was posted to his site. It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation. It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth.
  
  I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I'm voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos. I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate @timwalz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman's right to her own body for decades.
  
  I've done my research, and I've made my choice. Your research is all yours to do, and the choice is yours to make. I also want to say, especially to first time voters: Remember that in order to vote, you have to be registered! I also find it's much easier to vote early. I'll link where to register and find early voting dates and info in my story.
  
  With love and hope,
  
  Taylor Swift
  Childless Cat Lady

  In case you don't care to read it, the takeaways are: (1) Swift is endorsing Harris, calling her a "warrior," (2) Swift says her mind was made up by Trump's abuse of AI (posting a fake picture of Swift) and by the debate, and (3) Swift signed her missive as "Childless Cat Lady."
  
  We don't know why Swift chose last night, of all nights, to make that announcement. Maybe she was trying to ride the momentum of debate coverage. Maybe she was trying to bury it a little bit, so that right-leaning fans are not angered. If she starts campaigning for Harris, or she doesn't, that will probably tell the tale. In any case, it is entirely plausible that Swift alone could light a fire under some number of young, women voters. It's unlikely that the singer can turn a Trump voter into a Harris voter, but she could turn an "I'm not going to vote" voter into a Harris voter.
  
  
• Takeaways: All right. Now that we've got our thoughts written down, we'll take a look at what various news outlets are saying. Excuse us; we'll be back in a moment.
  
  OK, we are back. Here are five sets of takeaways from various sources:
  
  The Hill
  • Trump takes the bait
  • Harris delivers sharp performance
  • Trump refuses to commit to vetoing national abortion ban
  • Right goes after moderators over fact-checking
  • Trump stumbles with 'concepts of a plan' (to replace Obamacare)
  
  The Associated Press
  • From the opening handshake, Harris took the fight to Trump in a way that Biden could not
  • Trump had a label for Harris: 'She is Biden'
  • Swift gets off the sideline
  • Trump on race and Harris on the attack
  • Harris and Trump dug in on abortion positions
  • Who's talking now?
  • A message to the middle
  • A restrained Trump—except when he wasn't
  • An early skirmish on the economy
  • Gender an afterthought
  
  Fox
  • Trump says he wanted to send Harris a MAGA hat
  • Trump says he 'probably took a bullet to the head' because of Biden-Harris rhetoric
  • Harris says she is not Joe Biden
  • Harris stands by administration's Afghanistan withdrawal despite criticism
  • Trump uses famous Harris line against her
  
  CNN
  • A turning point when Harris jabs Trump over the size of his rally crowds
  • Trump traffics in conspiracy theories
  • Fierce argument over abortion, a key issue for both candidates
  • Vice president casts Trump as out for himself
  • A handshake sets the tone
  • Trump's comments about Harris' race, past controversies under the microscope
  • Trump and Harris dig their heels in on major global flashpoints
  
  NBC News
  • Harris leans in quickly on lowering costs
  • Trump attacks as Harris defends policy shifts
  • Trump dodges on vetoing federal abortion ban
  • Harris baits Trump into missed opportunities
  • Trump bashes Biden, sparking pithy Harris reply
  
  It looks like we were indeed watching the same debate as everyone else. Well, except for the people at Fox, maybe.
  
  Also, a couple of insta-polls were published last night (which, please be clear, are more like focus group results). CNN had a group of allegedly undecided voters in to watch the debate, and then asked them who won. They gave it to Harris, 63% to 37%. The Washington Post asked the same question of a group of 25 swing-state voters. They gave the win to Harris, 92% to 8%.
  
  
• Reader Comments: We've also heard from a number of readers already; here are some of their comments (keep in mind that our readers, on the whole, skew pretty lefty and highly educated):
  
  
  • J.T. in Marietta, GA: Just an FYI: My Republican, Trump-supporting sister messaged my conservative relatives, "Trump just blew the debate." So at least some within the bubble can face reality, even if it won't change their votes.
    
    
  • A.H. in Newberg, OR: Debait? No, that is not a typo.
    
    From the opening handshake to the bitter end comma-la owned the MAGA Maniac. The Trumpinator was more like Mr. Wilson screaming at Dennis to get off his lawn! I don't think that scowl ever left his face. He was the "Donner"—a loud noise rattling the rafters. She was the "Blitzen"—the sharp pointed riposte to the rumbling incoherent noise. The only break he got was when they went to commercial. Almost as bad was wannabe VP "JV" in the immediate reaction on ABC afterwards.
    
    It was a tough job to control the FORMER President, but I think Muir and Davis did a good job in a difficult situation.
    
    
  • E.S. in Maine, NY: Just a quick comment on the blatant sexism of the so called moderators. Time and time again Trump just started talking and they let him speak in response. The one time Harris tried to respond they said no.
    
    
  • D.H. in Lisbon Falls, ME: Harris spanked the Orange Demon all night long... but, at 11:14, Taylor Swift's comments made him DOA.
    
    
  • H.S.W. in Ardmore, PA: Donald Trump got Swift-boated tonight.
    
    
  • C.K. (and friends) in Santa Fe, NM: I wanted to give an immediate "hot take" reaction to the Harris/Trump debate before the pundits weigh in and an overall consensus narrative forms, just to compare notes with the analysis in tomorrow's Electoral-Vote.com writeup and beyond.
    
    For some context: I/we (DID is one of our neurodivergencies) am/are extremely liberal, but living with parents who include a very conservative father. We tried to watch the Biden/Trump debate together back when that happened, but I had to excuse myself 10 or 15 minutes in, because that whole trainwreck gave me a severe panic attack (the kind that involved intense nausea and left us literally sick in bed for days recuperating afterward.) Dad, meanwhile, was up all night that night watching just about every analysis program Fox had to offer, like he just wanted to keep celebrating and partying with all their talking heads.
    
    Tonight, I/we watched the Harris/Trump debate all the way through without issue, whereas Dad was the one who got up and left very early in, ostensibly to focus on packing for an upcoming camping trip, but it was very obvious that he was stomping around, slamming doors, etc.
    
    That alone tells us all we need to know about how tonight went.
    
    
  • J.S. in St. Louis, MO: Starting this e-mail before final statements. But again it's the bully taking more time than the rules allow (not surprising). I only wish the people in charge would actually abide by the rules. I wonder what the actual time was that each candidate were allowed to talk with the mic on. It seems very skewed in favor of the felon. That said, I think she killed it. Smart points, jabs and counter jabs.
    
    
  • B.W. in Los Angeles, CA: Trying my level best to be as objective as possible (and trying to imagine myself as an undecided swing-state voter): I can't imagine either candidate accomplished anything game-changing.
    
    Yes, Trump said some outrageous things—but there is an approximately 0.0% chance that anyone who is still-undecided between these two candidates has a strong opinion about Viktor Orbán.
    
    The most likely reactions of undecided voters were, I suspect, tidily summed up by the two vice-presidential candidates in their post-debate interviews: Walz described Trump as "old man yelling at cloud," and Vance remarked that Harris "talks to you like you're stupid."
    
    
  • W.F. in Orlando, FL: You wrote, in your previous debate recap, that Biden didn't get the memo in the first debate about both candidates being onscreen throughout the debate. Kamala Harris certainly got the memo this time. Some of the looks she shot at Trump are classic and destined to go viral.
    
    
  • E.G.G.-C. in Syracuse, NY: I'm sorry, I'm an immigrant like those who "eat dogs" and bring crime to the US... I didn't know...
  
  We will undoubtedly have some more comments on Sunday.

So, there you have it. We tend to agree with the readers/commentators who say that this debate won't change the trajectory of the election all by itself. But could it move 1% of voters? We think something like that is entirely possible. Though, given the vagaries of polling, it would be very hard to know if that actually happened.

Note that we will have bingo results tomorrow. Those require a level of concentration that is not currently available to be summoned. (Z)

The Primaries Are Over

Last night, New Hampshire, Delaware and Rhode Island brought up the rear, marking an end to primary season. Here are the most interesting results:

• New Hampshire Governor: The biggest story of the night, given New Hampshire's purple-blue hue, was the gubernatorial race in the Granite State. On the Republican side, former senator Kelly Ayotte took the prize, with 63.3% of the vote in what was, effectively, a two-person race. Given her political skills, her statewide name recognition, and the backing of outgoing governor Chris Sununu (R-NH), she'll be tough to beat.
  
  That doesn't mean it is hopeless, however, for former Manchester, NH, mayor Joyce Craig. Ayotte isn't Trumpy, and may struggle to get those folks out to the polls to vote for her. That is doubly true if it becomes clear Kamala Harris is going to win the state in a walk, which is possible. And not only might a Harris victory keep some Republicans home, it might also mean that Democrats show up in large numbers.
  
  
• Delaware Governor: This one is much less interesting because Delaware, as a state, is D+7. And that may undersell things, because the current governor, John Carney (D), won his two elections by 19 and 20 points. Looking to replace him will be Matt Meyer (D), who has served in municipal government, and took 47% of the vote in a three-way race, and state Rep. Mike Ramone (R), who looks like he might indeed wanna be sedated.
  
  If Ramone were a heavy hitter, maybe he could make Meyer sweat. But the Delaware GOP doesn't have heavy hitters. The last time a Republican was elected governor was in 1984, the last time a Republican was elected to the Senate was in 2000, and the last time a Republican was elected to the House was in 2010. Two of those three people are still alive, in that Mike Castle is both the last Republican governor and last Republican representative to be elected in the Blue Hen State. But he's not running (and the last time he did run, for U.S. Senate, he lost). We therefore assume the headwinds will be too fierce for Ramone, and that Meyer will win.
  
  
• U.S. Senate, Rhode Island: Here's one that's even less in doubt than the Delaware governor's race. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) easily beat a challenger, with 83% of the vote. He will go on to defeat state Rep. Patricia Morgan (R-RI), who will, at least, get a nice line for her CV out of all of this. Whitehouse won his last two elections by 12 points, so we're going to put our considerable prognostication skills to work, and predict that he wins this one by... let's say 12 points.
  
  
• U.S. House, NH-01: Both of New Hampshire's CDs are competitive. That's 100%. We wonder if there are any other states where that's true? Maybe Alaska, but that at-large seat isn't actually supposed to be competitive. Rep. Mary Peltola (D) is making it so through sheer force of will.
  
  Anyhow, NH-01 is EVEN. Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH) laid waste to his competition yesterday, taking 95.2% of the vote. He will face off against business owner Russell Prescott, who took a meager 26.3% of the vote, just barely outpacing nurse Hollie Noveletsky (23.7%) and Manchester alderman Joe Levasseur (22.9%). With one party unified behind an incumbent, and the other party running a candidate that clearly generated little enthusiasm, well, you don't need us to tell you what's going to happen in November.
  
  
• U.S. House, NH-02: NH-02, meanwhile, is D+2. In theory, that makes it slightly less competitive than NH-01. However, this year, it is an open seat because Rep. Annie Kuster (D-NH) is retiring. So, if the Republicans hope to steal a New Hampshire seat, this is the one they should focus on. The GOP banner will be carried by Lily Tang Williams, who has a compelling personal story (she fled the cultural revolution in China), but is an unknown. Oh, and her 35.6% of the vote also speaks to an enthusiasm problem. For the Democrats, it will be Maggie Goodlander, who took 63.7% of the vote in her contest. She is a lawyer, and may also be unknown, but her husband is Jake Sullivan, who serves as Joe Biden's NSA. So, you have to assume Biden will put his network to work for Goodlander.
  
  
• U.S. House, RI-02: There is also one competitive House race in Rhode Island, the D+4 RI-02. Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-RI) is not only incumbent, but was unopposed last night. He will face Steve Corvi, who is a veteran and a college lecturer. Republicans tend to admire one of those things, but not the other. But the bottom line is that it's yet another race in a district that's only sorta competitive, featuring an incumbent against an unknown. Elections like that are almost always won the by the former.

That's the last of those items for about 2 years. Full steam ahead to the general! (Z)

Comments on COVID

I am going to write this in first person, which is not our normal style, but is entirely correct for this brief piece.

First of all, I recognize that I am very late to the COVID party. Many readers will already know most or all of the information here. That said, there are still some folks who have escaped COVID thus far. Just about everyone I know who had avoided COVID thus far has been hit by the latest variant. So, even if you've dodged the bullet thus far, you should brace yourself for the possibility that the party's about to end.

Obviously, if you have insurance, you should make sure to have some at-home tests on hand. That said, the at-home test that I took produced inconclusive results, so it was necessary to go to a doctor for confirmation. Assuming you do get it, you'll need Paxlovid, which apparently does help reduce the duration of the disease. Also, buy some gum or hard candies, because Paxlovid creates a godawful taste in your mouth that lasts 3 hours and cannot be washed away.

If you don't have insurance, the federal government will be distributing free at-home tests again soon; you can get information here (the program is scheduled to start at the end of this month). If you end up needing Paxlovid, the manufacturer has a program called PAXCESS where, if you qualify, you can get the drug for free. Also, many states and municipalities (mostly... OK, pretty much exclusively, ones where Democrats are in control) have some sort of assistance with testing and treatment. You can use Google to check if this will work for you.

What about vaccines? Well, it does not appear that there is a central program providing free vaccinations anymore. If you have to pay out of pocket, it's about $100. Many localities (again, pretty much the blue ones) do still have free vaccinations available. Again, lean on Google here.

For my part, I have been vaccinated against COVID six ways to Sunday. I've had at least four shots, and I think it may be five or six. The fact that I got the disease anyhow may be interpreted as a failure, but that is not how I see it. On Monday, I was terribly ill. In particular, I had a 104-degree fever, and spent about 12 hours hallucinating (the tiny contribution I made to yesterday's blog was written maybe 20 minutes after the fever broke). And then, on Tuesday, I was... pretty close to fine. Think: mild cold. Some congestion, a loss of stamina, my back hurts.

You could attribute this to the Paxlovid, except that I got dramatically better before taking the first dose. It's also possible the new variant is really bad on Day One, and mild thereafter, but that's not usually how viruses work. That leaves us with the simplest explanation, that the oft-made assertion that even if the vaccines fail to protect you against the disease, they significantly reduce its virulence is true. That's certainly the explanation I am going with.

Anyhow, please be prepared and please take all precautions. And finally, to the many readers who wrote in with well-wishes, I am very grateful. They helped a lot, in particular, during the morning hours when I was still feeling really cruddy. (Z)

Today's Presidential Polls

In a manner of speaking, this is good news for both parties. They don't need to waste money and other resources on Virginia. (Z)

State	Kamala Harris	Donald Trump	Start	End	Pollster
Virginia	51%	43%	Sep 04	Sep 08	George Mason U.

Click on a state name for a graph of its polling history.

Today's Senate Polls

Ibid.

State	Democrat	D %	Republican	R %	Start	End	Pollster
Virginia	Tim Kaine*	53%	Hung Cao	41%	Sep 04	Sep 08	George Mason U.

* Denotes incumbent

---

If you wish to contact us, please use one of these addresses. For the first two, please include your initials and city.

• questions@electoral-vote.com    For questions about politics, civics, history, etc. to be answered on a Saturday
• comments@electoral-vote.com   For "letters to the editor" for possible publication on a Sunday
• corrections@electoral-vote.com To tell us about typos or factual errors we should fix
• items@electoral-vote.com            For general suggestions, ideas, etc.

To download a poster about the site to hang up, please click here.

---

Email a link to a friend or share:

---The Votemaster and Zenger