Jack Tame: Host of Q&A and Saturday Mornings at Kamala Harris HQ on the latest in the US election

The US election is ticking into its last hours. 

As voters are putting pen to paper, conflicting views on key priorities will set a challenge for whoever ultimately wins. 

Host of TVNZ’s Q&A and Newstalk ZB’s Saturday Mornings, Jack Tame is at Kamala Harris’ election headquarters at Howard University and tells Heather du Plessis-Allan the mood is not yet dark, despite Trump showing an early lead. 

Across counties like Michigan and Wisconsin, Harris is not performing as well as Joe Biden did in the previous election, suggesting Harris may not be in the strongest position. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let's go now live to Carla Harris, HQ to Q
and a host and host of Saturday morning's Jack Tamed Jack.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Hello, Hello, Heather.

Speaker 1 (00:07):
Are you getting any kind of a vibe from the
Democrats about whether they're feeling bummed out or optimistic?

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Nah? See that all the students here at Howard University
in Washington, DC, her alma mater, and all the students
are flooding and here to see her speak later on
this evening. Although will she speak, We'll all remember, of
course that Hillary Clinton decided not to on election night
when she found herself in a potentially similar situation eight
years ago. Look, I think you're right it's too early

(00:33):
to read too much into things, but I think your
analysis is also spot on at the stage. You would
much rather be teen Trump than teen Harris at the
moment looking at those early numbers, especially around Georgia, like
they've put a lot of resources in that, the Democrats,
and I think looking at those numbers in Georgia, it's
not an unassailable lead Vietnam. It's called Georgia for Trump
to set, but certainly he's well ahead at the moment.

(00:56):
The early numbers in Pennsylvania are probably the only thing
giving the Democrats much reason for optimism. But even if
you go and look at some of the counties across
Michigan and Wisconsin, they've been comparing some of the numbers
that Harris is posting there with the numbers that Joe
Biden posted and across those counties, and they're just individual counties,

(01:17):
she doesn't seem to be performing as well at the stage,
which then would suggest that maybe she's not in the
strongest position right now. Like you say earlier in the night,
no one here is crying just yet. It's not too
somber or dark just yet. But certainly the people here
at Howard, they're going to be hoping that the results
starts in this way.

Speaker 1 (01:35):
So Ap, I mean Pennsylvania, what are you looking at it?
You still see Pennsylvania ahead because I'm looking at AP's
count AP's got on fifty point three in her now
on forty eight point eight, so he's got an e.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
I haven't seen that, Lad, I haven't seen it. Haven't
seen those letters the latest updates because they sort of
dropped them in matches, right, So there you go. Yeah,
she was leading, She was leading on the early numbers
out of Pennsylvania. Oh my god, if they lose Pennsylvania,
good night, nurse. Do we just pack up?

Speaker 1 (02:03):
If they lose Pennsylvania, Jack, do we just go right?
That's that, we'll call it and we'll go home.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
Yeah, but it's whether or not they can call it tonight. Right.
So the problem is that they might they might have
eighty five percent of the boat counts in Pennsylvania, but
those last votes are taking a long time, maybe the
mail and ballot something like that, taking a long time
to actually add them up. So when they finally do
call Pennsylvania, we're able to pack up and call it.
I think a reckon room front.

Speaker 1 (02:27):
What do you make of Trump be leading in Virginia?
So they've got amateur We're how far through are they?
They're about sixty four percent so done about about two
thirds of the count there. Donald Trump is on forty
nine point seven and she's on forty eight point seven.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
Yeah, it's interesting. I'm sure the breakdown favors like the
Trump support favors the rural parts of Virginia over those,
you know, the areas that border on Washington, d C.
I mean that you know, Washington d C is a
very very Democrat leaning city compared to most other cities
in the US. But yeah, I mean, that's that's very
interesting that it's you know, like I say, I I think,

(03:04):
I think that the Trump team will be very pleased
and interesting that, especially in Georgia, perhaps more than anywhere
else at the moment, all o Virginia as well. He
is comfortably out doing what the polls suggested. And surely
we thought after two previous elections the polsters might have
a good steer on how much they need to be
adjusting their models to account for Donald Trump. But I

(03:25):
don't know. Maybe maybe those numbers again early days are
suggesting that they haven't appropriately adjusted them for the Trump
effect or.

Speaker 1 (03:32):
Jack It's going to be exciting. I bet you were
bet you were sure at the Trump HQ tonight.

Speaker 2 (03:37):
Based on this, I oh, yeah, I mean it's well,
it's always My theory is I'm here with my wonderful
colleague Logan. He gets us correspondent, well, he gets DIBs,
he gets DIBs and so and I just do what
I'm told, and so that I do have. I astly
think I have a real habit of this. There's my
fourth US election. I've never been there on Luction Night
when a candidate has won with Joe buy it in

(04:00):
four years ago and he remember he was like, oh,
it's looking girl, and I didn't call it. So I
don't know. Maybe there's the tame factor as well.

Speaker 1 (04:06):
Maybe maybe, yeah, maybe that is the thing. Jack, Maybe
you are the Keith influence. I appreciate it. Look after
yourself enjoyed, Jack, tame Q and.

Speaker 2 (04:13):
I host for more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive.

Speaker 1 (04:16):
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