{"text":[[{"start":7.97,"text":"Democrats who doubled down on Joe Biden after his awful TV debate are in a period of self-reflection. "},{"start":13.748999999999999,"text":"The rest of the party is revelling in its seemingly transformed fortunes. "},{"start":17.541999999999998,"text":"In the two and half weeks since Biden stood down, the US election has been turned on its head. "}],[{"start":23.009999999999998,"text":"The Democratic party’s new nominee Kamala Harris has quickly eliminated Donald Trump’s widening lead over Biden and in some polls is ahead. "},{"start":30.513999999999996,"text":"These include the must-win swing states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. "},{"start":35.407,"text":"States that were out of reach to Biden, such as Georgia, Arizona, Nevada and North Carolina, are now back in the “toss-up” category. "},{"start":43.337,"text":"Democratic candidates who avoided being seen with Biden when he visited their state are now queueing up to appear on the podium with Harris. "},{"start":50.004,"text":"If the election were held today, she would be the favourite. "}],[{"start":54.14,"text":"Yet if America’s remarkable twists of the past few weeks tell us anything, it is that plenty more could happen in the 90 days between now and polling day. "},{"start":62.094,"text":"The lightning speed of Harris’s ascent should inject a note of caution. "},{"start":65.687,"text":"So far, however, she has played her new role with unexpected deftness. "}],[{"start":70.66,"text":"Her first move was to redefine the campaign from “democracy” to “freedom”. "},{"start":74.73899999999999,"text":"This has a couple of big advantages. "},{"start":76.919,"text":"First, Biden’s warnings of the threats Trump posed to democracy were not swaying voters. "},{"start":81.774,"text":"Though Trump’s menace is real — and he has yet to appear in court on multiple indictments of attempting to overthrow the 2020 election — Biden’s warnings did not resonate in the polls. "}],[{"start":91.39999999999999,"text":"By focusing on the theme of freedom, Harris has changed the tone of the election. "},{"start":95.96699999999998,"text":"This speaks directly to the millions of female voters who are worried about being deprived of bodily autonomy. "},{"start":101.547,"text":"It reminds them that Trump’s running mate, J D Vance, has been a militant opponent of abortion. "},{"start":107.064,"text":"The Vance selection was also a stroke of fortune for Harris. "},{"start":110.407,"text":"His favourability among voters has been dropping fast. "}],[{"start":114.52,"text":"Harris is so far making the most of her luck. "},{"start":117.46199999999999,"text":"Her selection this week of Tim Walz, the homespun governor of Minnesota, as her running mate was a shrewd move. "},{"start":123.454,"text":"The hunting, fishing, military veteran will be hard to categorise as an extreme progressive. "},{"start":128.847,"text":"Though Walz is leftish on the economy, his state is a hub of corporate investment. "},{"start":133.264,"text":"Walz’s sunny disposition also aligns well with Harris’s upbeat messaging. "}],[{"start":138.05,"text":"What could go wrong for Democrats? "},{"start":140.24200000000002,"text":"The state of the US economy remains uppermost in voter minds, especially after weak job numbers recently spooked financial markets. "},{"start":147.359,"text":"Harris has yet to subject herself to sit-down interviews, let alone on-the-record press conferences. "},{"start":152.752,"text":"At some point, she will have to answer detailed questions on her economic agenda. "}],[{"start":158.12,"text":"The same applies to her plans to tackle illegal immigration. "},{"start":161.737,"text":"Until she has passed those tests, it would be unwise for Democrats to count their chickens. "},{"start":166.529,"text":"This US election has so far been remarkably free of policy debate. "},{"start":170.659,"text":"Harris cannot assume that Trump will keep playing into her hands by making derogatory remarks about her biracial background and gender. "}],[{"start":178.38,"text":"Perhaps the biggest risk to Harris’s fortunes is a Middle East war. "},{"start":182.134,"text":"This would trigger higher oil prices that could feed into higher US inflation. "},{"start":186.389,"text":"Trump’s campaigning abilities should also not be underestimated. "}],[{"start":190.68,"text":"For the time being, however, she is the candidate with momentum. "},{"start":194.77200000000002,"text":"At her forthcoming nominating convention in Chicago, Harris must provide the substance of what she would do in office. "},{"start":200.839,"text":"If she can do as good a job of that as she has of delivering positive messaging, the presidency could be hers to lose. "}],[{"start":206.94,"text":""}]],"url":"https://creatives.ftacademy.cn/album/166814-1723173280.mp3"}