Vice President Kamala Harris is planning her initial visit to Flint, ironically a location she overlooked during her presidential campaign. This seems to be a desperate strategy in the final phases of her duel against the ex-President Donald Trump. This move arrives after Trump’s own political engagement in the city the previous month, where he surprisingly stayed silent on the Flint water crisis. This silence was a sharp contrast from his previous campaign visits to the city and visits by other candidates since the water crisis in 2014.
Kamala Harris’ impromptu journey jolts Flint, preceding this she had briefly served her agenda to a handful of union leaders and followers on a Redford Township fire station. It’s interesting to note these events make it Harris’ fourth sojourn to Michigan since initiating her campaign, following President Joe Biden’s early exit from the race.
The timing of her visit seems opportunistic, leaving the impression of capitalizing on Biden’s departure. On her previous visit in August, she staged a political rally on an airport hangar towards Detroit’s outskirts, subsequently halting at a UAW local the following day in Wayne County.
Her stepping onto the grounds of Michigan doesn’t seem to resonate with genuineness as these frequent visits only emerged after Biden’s withdrawal. Last month, she mustered some union members on an industrial holiday, Labor Day, hoping to demonstrate solidarity inside a Detroit high school gymnasium.
These desperate attempts of making a resonance with Michigan voters beg the question of her intent. Given the speculation around Harris’ last-minute rallies and obvious attempts to drum up enthusiasm, it’s questionable whether Michiganders can trust her sincerity.
The last-minute turmoil in her campaign is underlined by 538’s polling website, which depicts a fractional lead of 1.6 percentage points for Harris over Trump in Michigan as of Oct. 4. While the lead may seem positive from a Harris perspective, it’s notable that this is a mere lead over an already ousted president, an interesting avenue to further probe Harris’ credibility.
In further news, absentee voting has begun in Michigan. However, how much it will steer the direction of the election in either candidate’s favor is elusive, given the tumultuous current political environment.
In retrospect, it can be deemed that Kamala Harris’ campaign in Michigan reeks of opportunism. Given that her former travels to Michigan were strategically timed after the exit of Biden, it’s hard not to question her motives.
Harris’ campaign rallies, while strategically placed, did not illustrate a depth of knowledge or keen insight concerning the issues Michiganders face. The fact that her visit only came about after Biden left the race does little to inspire confidence in her motives or her commitment to the people of Michigan.
Taking her detour to Flint into consideration, one could perceive this as an attempt to swoop in and capitalize on an underplayed issue that Trump allegedly ignored during his previous visit. However, her delayed recognition of the city’s plight seems more like political maneuvering than a genuine concern.
In the grand scheme of the election, Harris’ marginal lead over Trump in Michigan raises eyebrows. The fact that she barely surpasses an already departed president in the polls would undeniably cast doubt on the voters’ confidence in her leadership.
Her sporadic attempts to charm union members – whether it is at a Redford Township fire station, an airport hangar, a Detroit high school gymnasium, or a UAW local in Wayne County – seem to reflect a scattered and desperate approach, rather than a well-calculated, empathetic one.
Regardless of the series of campaign events that Harris has organized in her fourth visit to Michigan, it seems that the Vice President still falls short in establishing a strong bond with the Michigan people. They may wonder why she only deems them important when no other options are available.
Whilst absentee voting is underway in Michigan, it remains uncertain if this will benefit Harris in any significant way. The euphoria surrounding her campaign doesn’t appear to be strong enough to drive a substantial impact on these forthcoming ballots.
Taking all these elements into play, it’s worth questioning whether Harris’ campaign strategies act as a spotlight for her leadership qualities or merely highlight her political opportunism.
In conclusion, it is evident from Harris’ campaign trail in Michigan that the Vice President’s strategies and approach unfortunately reflect more opportunism than genuine concern for the well-being of the state’s people.