National Correspondents Say Presidential Election is in a “Dead Heat” at 2024 Chamber Annual Dinner

Ahead of November’s election, when Americans will decide the next president, the Kentucky Chamber hosted CNN political commentators Ashley Allison and Scott Jennings at the organization’s 2024 Annual Meeting Dinner on September 18.  

Opening the dinner, Kentucky Chamber Chair Candace McGraw highlighted the Chamber’s work over the past year to support businesses and address issues it faces, including key policy solutions that drive growth in the Commonwealth, valuable programs that provide businesses with the resources and partnerships to solve their workforce needs, and research on critical issues that drive important conversations between state leaders.

Kentucky Chamber President and CEO Ashli Watts emphasized the Chamber’s commitment to protecting America’s free enterprise system and the vital impact it has on the economy, communities, and quality of life. She also stressed how critical it is for elected leaders to support free enterprise, which uplifts the nation.

Starting the discussion on the 2024 presidential election, Kentucky Chamber Senior Vice President of Communications and Marketing Jacqueline Pitts asked Allison and Jennings to assess the recent debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris and how the debate will impact their candidacies going forward.

Jennings said Trump was stronger in his response on the economy and that the moderators fact-checked and challenged him more than Harris during the debate. He also stated, “[Trump’s] more popular now than he’s ever been, and he is closer in polling in the swing states than he was in 2016 and 2020.”

Allison said Harris did very well. “Whether you like her policy positions, part of being a debater is performance, and she delivered a stellar performance.” However, she added that she would have liked to have seen a bigger bump in the polls after the debate.

Both Allison and Jennings agreed the race is a “dead heat.” Jennings added that he believes this race will be even closer than the race in 2020.

With the expected close results, the panelists also talked about the lingering concerns of election integrity going into the 2024 presidential election. As 71% percent of Americans fear that elected officials will not accept the results of the presidential election, Allison said that it is important to acknowledge that the 2020 election was fair and accurate first. Jennings added that election denial and accusations of interference go back a long way in presidential elections.

The commentators moved on to discuss the pivotal role swing states could impact the outcome of the election, particularly North Carolina, Georgia, and Pennsylvania.

“I think the pathway to victory will look different this cycle,” Allison said. “I think North Carolina is in play in a way it hasn’t been since 2008, and I think Georgia is in play in a way it wasn’t two months ago when Joe Biden was at the top of the ticket.”

“Pennsylvania has been the state everyone is paying attention to, and I think the winner of Pennsylvania will be the next president,” Jennings added.

As polls continue to show a tight race, Pitts asked Jennings and Allison what sets each candidate apart and what key groups are making a difference in their races.

“I don’t think anyone is really undecided. How many things as an adult are you really undecided about? It’s just if you’re going to act on it,” said Allison.

“There are people in the country who are so disengaged from politics,” Jennings said. “I’m watching to see how many first-time voters showed up and who won those states. That’s the real battle.”

The panelists noted that young female voters are the group to watch for Harris, and young male voters are the group to watch for Trump. The outcome will depend on whichever candidate is able to turn out more voters within these populations. Jennings added that undecided voters participating in post-debate focus groups leaned more toward Trump.

Discussing other factors voters may consider when making their choice, Jennings said he does not think the question about Trump’s age will be an issue for him like it was for Biden.

“The most unifying view of America was that Biden couldn’t serve as president,” Jennings said.

He added that he thinks Harris presents as a younger generation of politicians, and that will make a difference. “That younger generation wasn’t there for Biden, and maybe they will be for her,” Jennings said.

Allison added that she thinks Trump’s age will matter because he is only a few years younger than Biden, but she does not think it will be as big of a campaign issue for Trump.

Moving to the topic of business, Jennings said rhetoric about corporations from both parties is negative. He added it is frustrating that Biden and Harris are blaming inflation on price gouging.

“That might not be true, but that’s the feeling,” Allison added, saying that the idea that corporate greed is a feeling that crosses party lines.

Listen to the full discussion on Jennings’ podcast, Flyover Country with Scott Jennings.

Stay tuned to The Bottom Line for more as the 2024 elections unfold.