If things keep going the way they are now, we're going to have the closest Presidential election in decades.
Last week's well-respected national Pew poll showed 46% favoring Kamala Harris and 45% DJT. A single percentage point difference with a margin of error of 3-4-percent.
Backers in both camps talk of a "breakout moment" but no one has been able to come up such. We just keep waiting.
As if that weren't enough to keep worriers worrying, Trump has already begun beating the "election integrity" drums, threatening to challenge November results in each state.
Used to be - before things went all electronic - you voted, then went home to watch the results. Now, you vote, go home and wait for the challenges to come in.
Elections are meant to pick winners. And, they do. But, the challenge process has been more active of late. Challenges, in some places, have dragged the process out for weeks.
Most election rules allow for challenges to this-and-that. And, for the most part, that's been a good thing. Making sure results are accurate. Keeping the voting process on the right track.
But, we've seen - all too many times - challenges that were "off the wall." Just meant to stir things up rather than assure results were accurate and that the rules were followed. That could be what we see nationally in November. Challenges here and there just for the sake of challenging.
Some Trump's followers have already promised doing just that. If they do, we'll be waiting for the final count long after November 5th.
Your scribe, long ago, hoped that Trump would wander off into the swamp - never to be heard from again. Alas, that has not been the case. His ever-present, dour countenance continues. His disruptive presence will hang around no matter the outcome in November.
While Republicans have long produced a plethora of candidates in nearly all elections, Democrats have struggled to keep up. Their bench of candidates-in-waiting has been noticeably thin. Typically, in Idaho for example, nearly half the 2024 races for the Idaho Legislature have no Democrat opposition filed.
Oregon does somewhat better, even attracting a goodly number of third Party names on the ballot. While Idaho is stridently Republican, Oregon leans more to a true two-party presence with a generally good mix to pick from. There are more contested races, top to bottom.
Oregon, which has been considered "purple" for a long time, has been shifting slightly leftward and can reasonably be called a soft shade of "blue." Idaho, at the same time, has been consistently "red."
How much faith one puts in polling differs considerably. But, it really doesn't mean much this far out when candidates are still running neck-and-neck. You'll see more meaningful results a couple of weeks before November five.
But, it's going to be really tight this time. Which means you'll need more popcorn. Better lay in a stock.