KENTWOOD, Mich. — "The contrast is night and day."
That's what Debbie Priest had to say about this year's upcoming presidential race as she got ready to leave Broadleaf Brewery in Kentwood Thursday afternoon.
Clad in a ocean blue t-shirt with a comma and "-la" across the chest, Priest had come to rally with fellow Democratic supporters and energize local efforts.
"You know, just the energy, the positivity, the looking forward of the party instead of looking back, and the gloom and doom. You know, it really bothers me when I hear someone say from, you know, the other side of the fence that, you know, we live in such a crappy country right now. I think it's fabulous. I think it is something I'm proud of, and I think it's something that we can move forward and make even better."
So when she heard Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, husband to Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, was rallying supporters at a local brewery and was invited, she said she had to come.
"We are swing state here in Michigan, so it's important that we, you know, have rallies like this, or have speakers come to our area and motivate people to get out and vote," Priest said. "And not only that - get involved. Go out and do something."
Emhoff himself, alongside key players like swing-seat Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.) and other local officials sought to galvanize local supporters in this key region at Broadleaf.
"Getting to meet some of the folks backstage and the small business community that they're a part of - this place that we're right here, I mean, this is the heart and soul of our communities," Emhoff said. "It's the heart and soul of our country."
But in Potterville near Lansing, the talk of the town was Trump.
The former president emerging on stage to thunderous cheers from at a local metal facility.
"My vision is for a middle class that is once again the envy of the entire world," Trump told the crowd. "It's going to happen fast."
"Workers like you and communities like this should be able to afford a nice house, a new car and a growing family on a single income - all while enjoying the highest standard of living on Earth," he continued.
The event with Trump had been billed as remarks focusing on the economy, inflation and manufacturing.
"Starting on day one, I will approve new drilling, new pipelines, new refineries, new power plants, new reactors and we will slash the red tape," Trump told the crowd. "We will get the job done. We will create more electricity also for these new industries that can only function with massive electricity, and we'll get it done."
But the two trips offering dueling messages on that same topic.
As a new national poll from Quinnipiac suggested more respondents favored Trump on the economy, Emhoff and supporters speaking to it as well, attempting to draw a contrast from the Trump campaign.
"Supporting entrepreneurs, helping manufacturers expand, growing the pie and investing in the middle class - this is all important, and this is everything that [Harris is] talking about," Emhoff said. "But just as in business, these goals are only practical if they come with trust and character in this election and on those measures, there is no contest. Trust and character on one side Kamala and Tim not so much on the other."
With many voters in the Quinnipiac poll suggesting many voters have the issue top of mind when making their choice for president, they who win on the economy could likely win the nation's highest office.