By Dave Andrusko

Not to coin a phrase but the battle between former President Donald Trump and pro-abortion Vice President Kamala Harris is as close as it is unpredictable. One way to keep up to speed is to read Real Clear Politics which “aggregates polling data from multiple sources, offering averages and projections for political races, including presidential elections.”

Two examples of how tight it has been and likely will be until election day. It is, for example, not uncommon for them to be tied in the popular vote and one or the other to be narrowly ahead in the electoral college, both of which are projections.

Here’s something about the presidential contest that is not about numbers. I didn’t think it was possible but Harris is “skipping the Al Smith dinner, a Catholic Charities fundraising event hosted by the archbishop of New York at which the two presidential candidates traditionally attend (the dinner’s namesake, of course, is the first Catholic presidential nominee),” according to Dan McLaughlin.

For decades, every major presidential candidate has come to New York, except for Walter Mondale. Cardinal Dolan quipped “This hasn’t happened in 40 years since Walter Mondale turned down the invitation. And remember, he lost 49 out of 50 states.”

McLaughlin added, “But it should also not be overlooked that Harris is sending a message by boycotting a high-profile Catholic event, during a season of the campaign when past candidates eagerly pursued the opportunity to break bread with the most prominent Catholic cleric in the nation.”

Mr.Trump sent yesterday in the critical important battleground state of Pennsylvania.Juliann Ventura reported on the state’s importance for The Hill:

Vice President Harris narrowly leads former President Trump in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, according to a new poll released by Monmouth University Wednesday.

 

Data showed that 40 percent of voters in the Keystone State said they will definitely vote for Harris, compared to 38 percent who said the same of Trump. Eight percent said they would probably vote for the vice president, while seven percent said they would probably vote for the former president, according to the poll.

And “Among the 18 percent of voters that named inflation and economic growth as their top two issues, 50 percent are supporting Trump while 36 percent are supporting Harris, the data found,” Ventura wrote.

One other very important point. Newsweek’s  Kaitlin Lewis reported

Former President Donald Trump has improved his support among female voters over the past month, although Vice President Kamala Harris still holds the lead among the key voter demographic, according to polling by Quinnipiac University.

 

In the pollster’s latest survey, conducted from September 19 to September 22, 53 percent of likely female voters said they would back Harris if the 2024 presidential election were held today. Trump trailed behind by 12 percentage points, earning 41 percent of women voters’ support.

 

Polling by The Economist/YouGov shows that Harris’ lead among women voters took a dip right before the September 10 presidential debate but that the vice president has since made up any lost ground.

Is this exciting, or what? See you tomorrow!