Dobbs has been a significant event, and the abortion issue has likely been underrated this year, even in states where it's not front and center. The issue could move three, four, five, or six points in favor of Harris, potentially making a significant difference.
The Trump campaign has done an awful job at taking the air out of the abortion issue. Their inability to have a coherent message about it has allowed the campaign to run on horrific stories and draconian laws, which they may regret if they don't win.
The gender gap, particularly a 10% gap favoring Harris, could be significant. If this gap maintains, it could be good news for Harris, especially if it reflects a broader trend across states.
The early vote in Michigan suggests that pollsters may have underweighted younger voters, minority voters, and women. This could mean that the actual vote could skew more in favor of Harris than current polls indicate.
Bill Kristol predicts that Harris will win, with a late break in her favor. He believes the polling may not have captured the gender gap and that minority turnout will be good for Harris. He expects to know the winner by midnight Tuesday night.
Trump's behavior, including his threats of violence and his past actions as described in various sexual assault stories, could be a significant liability. These actions align with his bragging in the Access Hollywood tape and could impact senior women voters.
Bill Kristol feels that the fight against Trumpism has been a good and worthwhile fight. He finds inspiration in fighting what he believes is the right fight, even if it has been exhausting at times.
Republicans are crowing about a big turnout of early rural voters and a decrease in African American voters in the cities. But the early vote also features a big gender gap, likely tied to abortion—an issue that was not on the ballot in 2020. And the Trump team has done a terrible job of not taking the air out of the issue. Plus, the Epstein tapes, Trump's lousy last two weeks, and The Bulwark's good and worthy fight.
**Bill Kristol **joins Tim Miller.
*show notes * Monday's Morning Shots newsletter) HuffPost story on Puerto Rican voters in Pennsylvania)