Heidi Heitkamp fights for his political life in North Dakota

The state plays a crucial role in determining Senate control in the mid-term elections of 2018. If Heitkamp loses in November, it is increasingly difficult for Democrats to resume the House.

For a candidate who praised his ability to work with the president, the move was politically risky.

Heitkamp was quick to cut out a television advertisement explaining his vote as a matter of conscience, the policy being cursed. And although she knows it could hurt her, Heitkamp told CNN that she hoped the voters would see it as another example of her independence.

"I reminded them that's what I do, I do not take shortcuts," she said. "I took some tough votes in the Senate.I took tough votes that Democrats did not like in the Senate.I took votes that Republicans did not like in the Senate." I took votes that the Republicans did not like in the Senate. </ P> have not liked, but at the end of the day, you have the obligation to do what you need, and I think that is what is missing maybe a little to the policy today. "

Cramer is called the most surprised person in America by his non-vote.

"She had built all of her campaign, in fact all her mark, as a bipartisan North Dakota senator running down the hall, working hard to be in tune with Donald Trump when it's politically right and when she thinks that It's politically correct, to the point where you know, she said, "I'll always be with President Trump when he's with North Dakota," he said.

"The Kavanaugh vote ruined everything, for me she had more to lose than if she had voted for him, and if she had voted for him, she would have maintained her current position, except that she probably would have lost some base, which is much smaller than the Kavanaugh base in North Dakota, "said Cramer.

North Dakota can be seen as a reliable ruby ​​red state, but it was only eight years ago that this Great Plains State was represented by two Democratic senators: Kent Conrad, a long-time holder, and Byron Dorgan.

What has changed? Remarkably, Cramer and Heitkamp gave the same answer to this question: the Democratic Party.

"The Democratic Party has changed by a ton, and this transfer of the Democratic Party to the far left of the Left … has made things very difficult for Democrats," said Cramer.

More significantly, Heitkamp also stated that she was worried about the direction her party is taking and what it would mean for the fate of moderates like her.

"I think what has happened is that the Democratic Party feels that it has gone too far to the left, and people do not trust that." said Heitkamp.

Looking at Heitkamp in the election campaign, the happy and easy behavior for which she is known is always visible. She talks politics, family and politics with everyone from the parade to the celebration of the Oktoberfest.

She knows that the political strategists of both parties in Washington write it as a goner in November. She is keen to remind people, and perhaps even herself, that it was a squeak when she won her first term six years ago with less than one percentage point.

"People would say that," it's more difficult now. "I do not know if that's true, I still think I have to defend what I'm going to do," Heitkamp said.

"What's different this time is that I have a record and some of the votes I've taken," she continued. "Obviously, the Kavanaugh vote, people will judge and say," I did not think she was going to do that "or" I'm glad she did, "but in the end of the day, I hope that they will judge me as a person and as someone who has principles that wants to do the right thing. "

Already a political battlefield

Long before the Kavanaugh vote, Heitkamp was considered the most threatened Democrat in the US Senate. Her challenge was made much more difficult when Trump, who had told her nice things, worked with her and even told him about a cabinet post, convinced Cramer to pursue her.

Cramer, who is currently a congressman from this populous state, was open to the fact that he did not want to run against Heitkamp.

"No, I did not, it's still not the case," Cramer tells us laughing.

The president twisted his arm, telling Cramer that his resistance "disappointed" him and implored Cramer to think more about the country than himself.

"I did not want to run and yet, since I made the decision to do so, I have never looked back, I have never regretted it," Cramer said.

Convincing Cramer – widely regarded as the best candidate they had to defeat Heitkamp – was an important part of the GOP's efforts to increase their slim majority in the Senate.

As for the Democrats, optimistic about the strength of the blue wave, they might even want to take the Senate, but consider keeping North Dakota the solution.

In a political world where Democrats nationwide are reluctant to say anything positive about the President, it is striking to hear Heitkamp strike a very different note. She is trying not to alienate the voters who voted for her six years ago and who voted for Trump in 2016.

"The president remains popular in North Dakota," said Heitkamp, ​​who has been working aggressively for almost two years with the White House on areas in which they agree, including issues. energy. "I think that makes sense because many of the agenda items he has pursued, including deregulation, have been incredibly popular – these are things that I share with him."

A wildcard: Trump's trade policy and farmers

Heitkamp breaks with the president on one of his fundamental problems: trade policy. In the Senate, and in its urgent quest to be re-elected, it focuses primarily on farmers.

In retaliation for Trump's harsh new policies on China's trade policy, Beijing imposed its own new tariffs on agricultural products grown in red states like North Dakota.

Soybean producers in particular, many of whom sell exclusively in China, are experiencing economic difficulties in harvesting.

Heitkamp invited us to visit Tom Brosowske's farm in Wyndmere. Standing next to a soya field as far as the eye can see, he has already lost $ 100,000 and is worried about losing more. With China, there is no market to buy its crop. Storage is expensive and soy does not last as long as other crops like grain.

Cramer, with the president, urges farmers to be patient, believing that it's crucial to get things moving to achieve the long-term goal of rebalancing trade with China.

Brosowske says that the great concern of himself and other farmers is the lack of a final phase.

"How's it going to work? I have not heard of a plan," he says.

Heitkamp hopes that some of the president's natural bases will turn to him, while his economic problems are being hit hard.

"It's the 13th week without orders from the Pacific Northwest and you know you want to be a patriot and want to do what's right but you wonder why I'm suffering for Apple to grow and technology get the benefit of what we do, "Heitkamp asked rhetorically.

As for Cramer, he said he had tried to prevent the president from imposing tariffs on China, for fear of retaliation against North Dakota farmers, but he had lost .

"Having said that, once the president has defined a strategy, a global strategy, I think it's better if we support it, if we are unified and if we win a trade war quickly rather than undermine all of it. process, "said Cramer.

He plays the patriotic card and even suggests that things might change after polling day, although no evidence can prove it.

"I think China will be about to settle pretty soon after the elections, to be honest with you, in the meantime they will try to use political pressure where they can. This is a real injury, which I have often tried to convince the president that a farmer's short-term difficulties may mark the end of his career, depending on his personal situation, "he said. declared Cramer.