Once again Kamala Harris, former Vice President and now Democratic presidential nominee, is on a desperate quest to entice white working-class voters – an electorate that has wisely shifted to the right under the Trump administration. She’s headed to the Rust Belt this Monday, hopeful that her flagging campaign can be salvaged by Labor Day appearances in Detroit and Pittsburgh alongside Joe Biden, whose credibility she used to dismiss relentlessly.
The last six weeks since Biden threw in the towel and endorsed Harris have been a whirlwind of disappointments for the Democratic Party. Harris entered the race with the support of younger voters and women, and people of color. Curiously, this support in some segments has increased, leaving her narrowly ahead of Trump in some polls, even though these very groups were not exactly thrilled by Biden before his abrupt departure.
Now Harris is in a desperate scramble for the support of the blue-collar demographic, ironically, a group that would’ve been more inclined to support Biden. Thus, Harris, casting longing glances at the prized seat of the first Black woman president, finds herself patching together the remnants of Biden’s blue-collar favorability.
Basil Smikle shares words of a tepid endorsement, outlining Harris’ focus on the working class, citing some lukewarm acceptance from union leaders. However, could this ‘support’ simply be a reaction against Trump, rather than any real affection for Harris?
Jared Abbott, of the Center for the Study of Working Class Politics, gives credits to Harris’ early focus on criticizing Big Pharma and supermarket price gouging – an approach sounding like an echo of Biden’s job growth policies. However, he rightly points out the fragile nature of these attacks against economic elites when compared to the strong stances held by Trump or Bernie Sanders.
Harris’ choice of Michigan and Pennsylvania was not accidental. These states form part of the blue wall bloc, which she hopes to exploit to secure 270 electoral votes. Time will show if their hardworking citizens will be dazzled by her flimsy promises.
One feat the Harris campaign proclaims is her erasure of what had been a lead for Trump in the culturally diverse Sun Belt swing states. Such a claim might hold water in Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina, and Georgia. But her stride has been stunted in the blue wall where Biden had significant traction before he stepped down.
The Harris campaign hangs its hopes on vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, hoping his small-town Nebraska upbringing and his background as a teacher and high school football coach will make him a darling to the white voters. He touts his gun ownership and hunting enthusiasm as key selling points, an awkward bid that suggests how cultural conservatives should cast their vote.
Republican strategists are rightfully skeptical about the idea of Harris making significant progress within Trump’s firm base of working-class support in the Rust Belt. They accurately highlight Trump’s robust and long-lasting support from white men without a college degree – a support base that could potentially extend to working-class Black and Latino men.
Trump’s lead among men scores nearly 20% more, a fact which highlights the stronghold he has on this demographic group. This leads to a striking contrast where the admirable lead Harris has with women seems somewhat of a consolation prize.
Harris’ uphill battle to sway the electorate is encapsulated by Texas-based GOP strategist Matt Mackowiak. He pinpoints the core issue – Harris will have a gruelling struggle trying to ‘sell’ her vice presidential record, offer a credible presidential vision and gain any level of trust. The road ahead for her promises to be long and hard.
In contrast to Harris’ scramble for credibility, Trump already holds the trust of his supporters. His base acknowledges his robust record of accomplishments, and they have faith in his vision for the country. This big difference undermines Harris’s efforts and reveals a chasm between the two candidates.
Harris’ campaign seems to stagger under the weight of uncertainty, desperately grabbing at strings of placeholders, hoping it can somehow turn the tide of her shrinking support base. One can only wonder if the Rust Belt will be her saving grace or another pronounced failure in her dwindling campaign.
Whether Harris’ vision for the nation aligns with that of the common working class American remains to be seen. But for now, her campaign’s desperate efforts to resonate with blue-collar Americans seem artificial and uninspiring, casting doubts over her strategy to take the White House.