Photo by Jim Vondruska - Getty Images
Vice President Kamala Harris
“I thought for certain Trump was going to win, but now? I’m not so sure.” — overheard on the trolley, Wednesday afternoon.
On Sunday, July 21, President Joe Biden dropped his reelection bid following months of gradually bubbling pressure from within the Democratic Party. Regardless of whether Biden’s age actually impedes his ability to lead, a disastrous debate performance lit a fire under his party, calling belatedly for a new candidate to emerge.
It’s all the country can talk about right now, and Milwaukee is no exception: from elevator small talk to hand-altered Biden/Harris signs in storefront windows. Coffee shop regulars are striking up engaging political conversations with their baristas, while trolleys and buses alike are transforming into debate stages.
When Vice President Kamala Harris emerged as the presumptive new top of the ticket, renewed excitement and hope were palpable. Donations poured in, reaching $80M within the first 24 hours, then climbing to hundreds of millions only days later. Her initial 2 point lag behind Trump in the polls closed to less than 1 point, well within the margin of error; according to some polls, she’s actually ahead. Endorsements rifled in, including one big one from the last woman to take on Donald Trump in a presidential race. By the end of her first full campaign day, solidarity across the Democratic Party and beyond landed her far more delegates than necessary to become the presumptive nominee. And yeah, her relevance in internet memes about coconut trees doesn’t seem to hurt.
Harris held her first official campaign rally in West Allis, a fitting choice after the RNC’s shadow lifted from downtown Milwaukee. Her remarks stirred a roaring crowd, re-energizing a campaign that much of America felt resigned to lose. “I wasn’t even going to vote,” says Ky in the Third Ward. “Now I’m definitely gonna.” Many Milwaukeeans reflected a commonly held idea that they planned to vote for Biden, albeit reluctantly for some. Tina from Brewer’s Hill says, “at my age, I can’t do the political rollercoaster anymore. I was going to vote for Biden, and now I’m going to vote for Kamala. Simple as.” Others, like Katya and Aubrey in Bayview, as well as Suzanne in the Third Ward, say that though they planned to vote for Biden, Harris’ candidacy made the election much more enticing. “She may not be my ideal candidate, but I’m far more excited for her,” Aubrey elaborates.
|
|
Casting a Wide Net
Harris still faces challenges. She’ll have to convince young progressive voters who have put their hearts and souls into humanitarian activism regarding the crisis in Gaza that she is on their side. As Sam in Bayview explains, “Biden lost a lot of voters over the genocide.” Ella from Bayview remarks with optimism, “she seems more apt to call for a ceasefire. I’ll vote for her when she calls for a ceasefire publicly on the campaign trail.” Recent reports seem to corroborate this idea.
She will have to appeal to swing voters. Her potential vice president picks seem to reflect this — most are moderate white men who would appeal to a broader voting demographic than Harris would alone. Still, many independents are unphased, just as one woman in the Third Ward mentioned who chose to remain anonymous: “I’m a Libertarian, so I’m not voting for either.”
She will have to unify women and has started off strong by making abortion access a key issue in her campaign. Simon from Bayview feels more enthusiastic about Harris on gender-based grounds, but worries about America’s deeply rooted sexism, recalling Hillary Clinton’s campaign in 2016. “Hillary’s campaign failed in part because of that, and I fear we haven’t really changed much since then.” Others view her identity as a positive. “I can’t wait to see a woman take down Trump,” said Rae and two friends in Bayview.
Overall, Harris’ sudden presidential campaign is electric and remarkably strong. She reminds many democrats of how it feels to be hopeful again. Polling continues to trend upwards, and the Trump/Vance campaign doesn’t seem to know what or how to attack in response. The RNC’s poor economic impact on local Milwaukee businesses has left a bitter taste in many mouths, and they will remember this in November—though perhaps not in the way Donald Trump hopes. Instead, it appears most Milwaukeeans are eager to let Harris take up the reigns.
