As a native of Youngstown, Ohio, I believe that former President Donald Trump may win the 2024 presidential election.  Why do I say this? I was visiting relatives in Ohio when Trump was campaigning for the 2016 presidential election. Many white people wore red baseball caps with the slogan, Make America Great Again, hoping for jobs based on his promises. Youngstown's steel mills, which once produced steel for cars, were closed for several years due to union disagreements.

My area still made the Chevy Cruser and the Cadillac, but Donald Trump told the unemployed workers that he would bring the auto industry back to Ohio.  All people had to do was to vote for him, and he would also ban the migration from "shithole" countries where the people have a melanin color.  Despite Trump's lack of a realistic plan, his rhetoric resonated with voters seeking change.

On the other hand, Vice President Kamala Harris has concrete plans but some Americans may be hesitant to vote for her simply because she's a woman.  Her identity as a Black woman further diminishes her chances with voters of all races. Our sad reality is that sexism still remains a powerful force in the 2024 political arena.

To illustrate the gender prejudice against Vice President Harris, I refer to the October 2, 2024 New York Times article "The Smearing of Kamala Harris" by Anita Hill, a law professor at Brandeis University. Hill reminds us of the time she came forward stating that Clarence Thomas was unfit to serve on the Supreme Court, and how three other women who wanted to testify about Thomas's sexual harassment behavior were refused a hearing by Democratic Senator Joseph Biden and Republicans like Senator Orrin Hatch, thereby covering up Thomas's inappropriate actions. In her opinion piece, Hill states: "The various and sundry racist, misogynist and sexist insults hurled at Ms. Harris sting."

Returning to the 2024 presidential election, it's possible that Trump could secure a second term by scapegoating immigrants and people of color. I argue that the hatred directed towards African Americans often extends to a mistrust of recent immigrants of color, who are perceived as not deserving of power. In the minds of many white voters, these immigrants are viewed similarly to Vice President Harris' Jamaican father and Indian mother. This prejudice relegates immigrants to menial jobs, such as maintenance work, rather than acknowledging their full potential.

Trump, known for his controversial personality on "The Apprentice," leveraged his celebrity status and divisive rhetoric to win the presidency, despite lacking political qualifications. Initially, many well-educated Americans underestimated his appeal, failing to recognize his authoritarian ambitions. Trump successfully tapped into a deep-seated belief among some Americans that the presidency should be held by a white man, regardless of qualifications or character. This bias exists among both educated and uneducated voters, male and female alike. Few openly admit that racism and sexism influence their opposition to leaders like Vice President Harris. Her race and gender pose a threat to those who cling to outdated notions of leadership.

As someone who moved from Ohio to New York City, I've seen the different ways people view individuals of color. New York's diversity, as former Mayor Dinkins put it, "We are a mosaic." Likely for this reason, Vice President Harris will receive New York State's vote.

Voters in the rest of the country may want to consider a recent New York Times article titled "If Donald Trump Wins." The piece sheds light on the potentially damaging shifts he could bring to the American government. Trump's stated plans, should he be re-elected, include centralizing power by bringing independent agencies under his direct control, prosecuting political adversaries, severely limiting immigration from countries he deems unfavorable, and even deploying American troops against U.S. citizens. His proposals also include imposing new tariffs that could drive up consumer costs, hindering the effectiveness of regulatory agencies, and expanding legal theories to further consolidate his presidential authority.

These concerns, as highlighted by The New York Times, are not unfounded speculation; they are drawn directly from Trump's own campaign statements. As voters, it is crucial we carefully consider the potential consequences of such actions on the future of our government and the nation as a whole.

Recent polls indicate that former President Trump and Vice President Harris are neck and neck in the race. Our grandmothers used to say, "Prayer changes things." Is it time to pray for the future of our country?