The race for President will be close ...

And this contest will come down to a few states and, perhaps simply, which version of the electoral map will prevail - 2016 or 2020.

Most all of you know about the whirlwind weeks we have experienced in an unprecedented Presidential race. The head of the highly-regarded Secret Service resigned in the aftermath of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13.

Thankfully, our 45th president recovered well and actively participated in the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee the following week. He named first-term United States Senator J.D. Vance of Cincinnati, Ohio, to join him on the ticket as candidate for Vice President.

This past week was just as eventful: On Sunday, July 21, President Joe Biden announced his decision to withdraw from the election. He immediately threw his support behind his Vice President, Kamala Harris of San Francisco, California. Harris was in her first term in the United States Senate and also was briefly a Presidential candidate in 2020 before being tapped by Biden as running mate.

Harris' short ascendency to presumptive nominee of the Democratic party has created some momentum, but I expect this race to be close. The real analysis is somewhat simple and comes from one of my favorite websites, 270towin.com.

President Trump's 2016 victory over Hillary Clinton came largely from victories in three states: Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Some would call these upset victories. The combination of the 46 electoral votes from these three states made all the difference in Trump's 304-227 victory (Seven electors in various states became "faithless" and cast their votes for someone else).

Fast forward to 2020, when the election became a "referendum" on the administration of Trump 45. The three aforementioned states flipped to Biden 46, and the former Vice President added victories in Arizona and Georgia for a 306-232 victory (no "faithless" electors this time LOL).

I'm betting a lot of money will be spent on TV ads in Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona, and Pennsylvania. Based on my viewing of Atlanta Braves baseball on the Bally Sports network, the campaigns were already actively on television in the Georgia market - even before Biden's withdrawal announcement.

Other possible battlegrounds could include Missouri, Ohio, and Florida. Trump carried these three states in both elections.

As for our own Tennessee and the rest of the deep south besides Georgia and Florida, it is big Trump country. Donald Trump enjoys great popularity here. Trump spoke at the Bitcoin Conference here in Nashville on July 27, and I doubt we see him again before November 5 (election day).

But there will be plenty of volunteer action in the form of phone calls for money and votes for both candidates. Yes: You'll be calling mostly into other states. I encourage you to make your voice heard and to stand behind your candidate!

James A. Rose, Publisher