The 2024 US elections: Who’s winning, and how does crypto factor in?

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From the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump to Joe Biden announcing the end of his campaign 100 days before the election, this year’s United States 2024 election cycle has been an emotional roller coaster. Its twists and turns are amplified and fanned by social media pundits, artificial intelligence, and TikTok algorithms. Oh, and let’s not forget a dash of misinformation to really fuel the fire.

With the emergence of Kamala Harris as the new Democratic presidential candidate, the balance has once again swung somewhere in the middle, with both candidates vying for power and no clear frontrunner in what I call the “Presidential perception war.”

Campaign narratives and candidate perceptions

On the right, there’s Donald Trump, with his ongoing narrative as a savvy businessman, a D.C. outsider on a mission to drain the swamp and disrupt business as usual in Washington. His slogan, “Make America Great Again,” dates back to the 1980s. Evoking “MADE IN THE USA” imagery and heavy use of the American flag evoked a sense of nationalist pride. His “America First” mentality touched a nerve with voters fed up with a system that believed crime and illegal immigration were ruining the country.

On the left is Kamala Harris, who projects an image of a sharp, diplomatic DC insider with the talent and temperament to handle both global and domestic affairs. Her default campaign slogan, “We’re Not Going Back,” is a direct response to Trump’s national agenda and the dismantling of civil rights achieved by Roe v. Wade and the Civil Rights Act. Her candidacy resonates with a curious voting bloc known as the “Double Haters”: voters who dislike President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.

The reality of challenges for both sides

Let’s start with the Republican Party choosing a convicted felon as its presidential candidate, which is a tough pill for some people to swallow when most convicted felons can’t even get a job at McDonald’s or run for president. It creates a feeling that if you’re rich and powerful, the rules don’t apply, which really bothers some voters.

Another issue is Trump’s divisive language on race and personal attacks on his opponents throughout the campaign, which may have worked with his core supporters in the past but has a clear negative resonance among likely voters.

One of the negative perceptions of the Democratic Party is that they are the “party without a plan or an idea.” Meanwhile, the Republican Party and Donald Trump have promoted their national agenda/platform, flooding the media, conferences, reporter interviews, and social media. At the same time, the Democrats have not effectively communicated a solid and clear vision for the future to combat the Trump agenda, at least from a perception standpoint.

Vice President Kamala Harris cautiously laid out her economic agenda at a rally in North Carolina that appealed to her Democratic base. Still, her real challenge is reaching white, blue-collar male voters, a voting bloc that Hillary Clinton lost in the 2016 presidential election. While she has made progress in winning back young people and minorities for the Democratic Party in the polls, white, male, blue-collar voters are the main obstacle to a Kamala Harris victory in November.

Source: Brookings Institution

Demographically, crypto represents a diverse cross-section of voters in terms of age and ethnicity. A conservative estimate puts the number of crypto owners in the United States at 52 million. Analysts believe this year’s US presidential election will be closely contested. I am an American living in Paris, bombarded with US voters and overseas advertisements featuring Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

One of the biggest super political action committees this campaign cycle is Fairshake, a crypto super PAC that supports crypto-friendly candidates on both sides of the aisle. In addition to crypto industry campaign dollars, several surveys of undecided state voters show that they also own crypto. The fact that both candidates are actively trying to capture crypto votes shows how slim the margin for victory is in the upcoming election.

A tale of two campaigns: Social media influences Joe Biden

The general attitude toward Biden was lukewarm throughout his campaign. After a dismal debate performance in which Biden’s mental acuity was questioned, Donald emerged as the stronger candidate by default.

Biden quickly became a social media hot topic when viral clips from the debate began circulating online, with leading Democrats calling for Biden to resign and “pass the torch.” President Biden is not seeking re-election and has closed the gap with Trump in three weeks, allowing Kamala to make significant gains in the polls. The addition of Kamala Harris to the Democratic presidential ticket has breathed new life into the campaign. There is a renewed sense of hope and enthusiasm. Campaign rallies are like rock concerts.

Solution

Who is winning the war of perception? Of course no one. The actual election results will ultimately crown a winner. I believe both candidates are in a tight fight at this point. While the elected president is unknown, what I do know for sure is that crypto voters will play a significant role in the winning candidate’s victory.

Courage Kimber

Courage Kimber is a web3 strategist and blockchain consultant. Courage has worked in the web industry for over a decade. During this time, she has gained a wealth of experience in web strategy management, e-commerce, and digital transformation. In recent years, she has entered the blockchain space, advising companies and C-Suite executives on content strategy and management. She is passionate about her work and takes pride in helping others.

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