For those lucky VIP voters in battleground states, there is a presidential candidate around every corner, in nooks and crannies – on stages in front of thousands and in coffee shops full of annoyed regulars – begging for votes to save democracy. In a matter of days, Kamala Harris, dragging the current president around, wove a path through Pennsylvania and Wisconsin in a laborfest on Labor Day. Not to be outdone, Donald Trump and his growing centrist entourage have set sights on Sept. 7 for better media coverage.

On the docket of items to talk about were, and are, the health of the nation, free speech, inflation, my body/my choice, and Orange Man bad. Both candidates are touting reform while furiously trying to make their opponents look radicalized.

Earning Electoral College votes in the seven* key swing states is the only realistic path to the White House door, and concentrated efforts could pay off in spades for presidential hopefuls. The Trafalgar Group’s Labor Day weekend poll suggested Trump is marginally ahead of Harris in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – that’s worth 29 EC votes combined. A poll by Ipsos/Reuters – carried out both before and after RFK Jr. endorsed Trump, handed the 45th president the edge in all crucial battlegrounds, noting, “In the seven states where the 2020 election was closest – Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, North Carolina, Michigan and Nevada – Trump had a 45% to 43% lead over Harris among registered voters in the poll.”

However, the RealClearPolitics average of polls currently has Harris leading in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania – albeit by slim margins. So what fare are the candidates serving up to make their play for these all-important states?

Union Joe

After a solid two-week bicoastal vacation in Santa Ynez, CA, and Rehoboth Beach, DE, the current president appeared more cognizant than usual as he praised Harris in her Pittsburgh, PA, rally. She was overly joyful in her patented, unstylish giggle-speak, proud to be a part of “the most pro-union administration in America’s history.” Joe, in turn, claimed Harris would be a “historic pro-union president.” It’s a refrain the Harris-Walz campaign will echo time and again as it seeks to shore up the blue-collar vote.

Harris received a max capacity crowd of 600 people at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 5 union hall. Minus security and staff, that number adjusts accordingly lower. She exhibited positivity and hope when she announced to those assembled: “US Steel is a historic American company. It is critical for our nation to maintain strong American steel companies. US Steel should remain American-owned and American-operated.”

Yet, there is always the curmudgeon who brings the joy down to earthly reality. That guy was Allegheny County Republican Chair Sam DeMarco, also an at-large county council member, who took on one of Kamala’s most labor-friendly talking points. “US Steel is for sale because Democrats allied with environmental extremists who devoted their time to destroying heavy industry here,” DeMarco stated.

Pennsylvania brings to the table 19 EC votes and could prove to be the deciding state in this election.

Battleground Strategies

Trump was more low-key over the holiday: Labor Day is mostly spent with friends and family at cookouts, camping, and fishing. It’s a time for laborers to chill out and skip the political divide for three days. Trump acknowledged the holiday with a post on Truth Social:

“Happy Labor Day to all of our American Workers who represent the Shining Example of Hard Work and Ingenuity. Under Comrade Kamala Harris, all Americans are suffering during this Holiday weekend – High Gas Prices, Transportation Costs are up, and Grocery Prices are through the roof. We can’t keep living under this weak and failed ‘Leadership.'”

And now – back to work, the evening news, and social media platforms – voters are out of relaxation mode and into election watching, especially in the all-important battleground states.

Sept. 7 is the date for Trump’s return to the Badger State when he will hold a ticketed event at the Central Wisconsin Airport in Mosinee. This is the former president’s fourth rally in Wisconsin after hosting large-scale events in Green Bay, Waukesha, and Racine this election cycle. Trump reportedly plans to double down on his Agenda 47 policy plans this Saturday and continue that theme in Milwaukee, Arizona, and Georgia.

As the official campaign period begins, the current standing in the battleground states is statistically too close to call. Trump leads Harris by roughly a single point in North Carolina and by a similar margin in Nevada, thanks to the boost he received from independents’ 9.5% lead. The former president maintains a half-point edge in Arizona, while both Michigan and Wisconsin are favoring Harris by roughly one point. Both Georgia and Pennsylvania are on a knife’s edge in terms of surveys, with neither contender being able to claim the lead.

With just 62 days to go, both campaigns will be a flurry of activity and action as they seek out the elusive margins in these key states, waiting for each new poll and the fractional edge they might bring.

*Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Georgia.