** 09/08/24
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** 87 Days to go until the US election.
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Dear John,

We’re back for another US elections newsletter. I’m convinced that what happens in the States in November will have profound consequences here at home and around the world, and that we should all be paying close attention. I’ve been covering recent US developments for Byline Times, and wanted to share my thoughts with OB’s supporters as well – with a particular eye on democracy.

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Who is Tim Walz?

This week, Kamala Harris announced that Minnesota governor Tim Walz will complete the Democratic ticket and head off with her against Trump and JD Vance this November. Walz has an “everyman” appeal and a strong record on democracy issues, making him a formidable opponent for the embattled Vance.

In 2023, Walz oversaw the “Democracy for the People Act ([link removed]) ” in Minnesota, which is, to date, one of the most comprehensive democracy bills put forward in the US at the state level in modern times. It included:
* Automatic voter registration;
* Pre-registration for 16 and 17 year olds;
* Measures prohibiting voter intimidation, harassment, and deceptive practices intended to interfere with the vote;
* Measures closing dark money loopholes, increasing campaign finance transparency, and prohibiting foreign-influence corporations from spending money in Minnesota elections.

The Minnesota Democratic party, more broadly, has been extremely successful in efficiently pushing through a popular agenda over the past few years. It puts Walz in stark contrast to his opponent for the VP spot, a venture-capitalist funded faux populist ([link removed]) with strings attached to Silicon Valley billionaires.

One interesting sign is that Trump and Vance seem to be struggling to find a salient attack line on the VP candidate. They’ve worked hard to spread lies about Walz’ time in the military, accusing him of falsifying ([link removed]) his service record, but the attack lines haven’t really resonated with the public – and the Democrats are now up in the polls.

There is still a lot of time to go, but the Harris campaign, now untethered to Joe Biden, seems to have gained significant momentum – and Walz is certainly playing a role in it.

In other US election news…
* On September 10th, Trump and Harris will face off in their first Presidential debate. As we saw with Biden earlier in June, these debates can be pivotal make-or-break moments;
* The bookies now favour Harris to win the 2024 US election, over-taking Trump in the betting odds for the first time;
* According ([link removed]) to the internet watchdog Centre for Countering Digital Hate, Elon Musk has made at least fifty posts on “X” containing false or misleading information about the 2024 US election, viewed over a billion times.

That’s it for this week.

All the best,

Matt Gallagher

Communications Officer

Open Britain Team
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