FiveThirtyEight’s top politics stories this week

[FiveThirtyEight]( Popular in Politics Thursday, August, 29, 2024 [1. How 538 is adjusting our election model for Harris versus Trump]( [How 538 is adjusting our election model for Harris versus Trump]( On Thursday, Aug. 22, Vice President Kamala Harris officially accepted the Democratic Party's nomination to be its 2024 candidate for president. The following day, we turned on [our election forecast]( for the race between Harris and former President Donald Trump. [Read more]( [2. How did Democrats talk about issues at a DNC devoted to ideals?]( [How did Democrats talk about issues at a DNC devoted to ideals?]( Last week, the Democratic National Convention worked to keep up a party-like atmosphere filled with music and celebrities, and its central message seemed to revolve around themes like "joy" and "freedom." Viewers who tune into political conventions [are usually already committed to the party]( but this optimistic tone was likely part of their key efforts to drive enthusiasm (and eventual turnout), both by amping up their base and persuading the handful of undecided voters who could make a difference in this era of razor-thin election margins. [Read more]( [3. 3 reasons why racist attacks on Harris could backfire]( [3 reasons why racist attacks on Harris could backfire]( Vice President Kamala Harris [has faced a barrage of racist attacks]( on her qualifications and background since President Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential campaign. On July 31, former President Donald Trump fanned those flames at the National Association of Black Journalists' annual convention when he [falsely claimed that Harris "happened to turn Black" only recently](. The Trump campaign has [doubled down]( on those accusations, too, repeating them [several]( [times]( over the past month. [Read more]( [4. How much momentum will RFK Jr.'s endorsement give Trump?]( [How much momentum will RFK Jr.'s endorsement give Trump?]( Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. [announced Friday that he had suspended his campaign]( for the presidency and endorsed former President Donald Trump (though he said he will remain on the ballot in states that are not competitive at the presidential level). Kennedy's bid failed to garner enough support to contend in any state, and support for him in national polls [fell by nearly half]( after President Joe Biden [dropped out of the running]( to be the Democratic Party's nominee. [Read more]( [5. How 538's 2024 presidential election forecast works]( [How 538's 2024 presidential election forecast works]( For 2024, 538 has built a [new presidential election forecast model](. This article explains how we did it: the ingredients that go into the forecast, how we process them and how we ultimately end up with a set of several thousand potential outcomes for the election. This has been updated since June. [Read more]( [FiveThirtyEight] [View in browser]( [ABC News]( [Unsubscribe](