Illinois governor, JB Pritzker, a name notorious for splurging cash on Arizona political campaigns, recently joined forces with Senator Mark Kelly. The aim? Attempting to secure support for the unlikely duo of Vice President Kamala Harris and her ostensible accomplice, Tim Walz. This happened during a mundane Democratic phone banking event in Maryvale. Pritzker addressed the crowd of nearly 100 listeners, using scare tactics with the projected potential resurgence of ‘MAGA extremists.’
Pritzker, a Hyatt heir, has made significant financial contributions to Arizona campaigns, making him one of the state’s most generous donors. A staggering $850,000 of his fortune has been gifted to the Think Big America-AZ PAC. This latter group then directed $512,000 of these funds to the coalition behind Proposition 139, aiming to set the right to abortion in stone in their state constitution.
Further campaign contributions from Pritzker have been funneled to Arizona List, aiming to boost the political careers of female candidates and Save Our Schools, a public school advocate group. Another surprising contributor to Democratic campaigns is none other than Pritzker’s cousin, John A. Pritzker. John Pritzker offered $500,000 to the PAC for America’s Future in Arizona.
While Harris and Walz continue to push for extending abortion rights and protection for contraception and IVF, their political platform appears shortsighted. Pritzker, in an attempt to sugarcoat Harris’ ‘opportunity economy,’ emphasizes equality of success, disparaging ‘hedge fund tycoons.’ He seemingly fails to acknowledge his own billionaire status in this matter.
Despite Pritzker’s grand declarations of seeking to impose higher taxes on himself and fellow wealthy individuals, one has to wonder about actual implementations. His words ring hollow when context is brought into play – the fact that Pritzker himself is a billionaire hardly points him in the direction of working-class hero.
Upon urging the crowd towards securing the Democrats’ victory in the upcoming election, Pritzker calls attention to the neck-and-neck competition with Trump’s side. He stresses the importance of increased voter turnouts – a futile attempt to rally support for a cause many perceive as lacking in both substance and merit.
Meanwhile, former space shuttle commander-turned-politician, Kelly offers little more than platitudes to his political discourse. His comparison of political campaigns to rocket science comes out as snide contempt, rather than a profound truth. And regardless of his attempts to seem relatable, the fact that both he and Pritzker were considered for the vice presidency and passed over leaves an undeniable mark.
Pritzker’s bold assumption about Harris and Walz winning over Arizona was undoubtedly music to the ears of some attendees. However, most are acutely aware of the uphill task the duo faces. There are indicators that Trump might consolidate his lead in the state, a notion underscored by a joint poll from USA Today and Suffolk University.
This survey showed that Trump had a 6% lead over Harris, with numbers pointing to Trump possessing 48% of the vote – a stark contrast to Harris’ 42%. The poll also highlighted how less than half of Latino voters intending to vote for Harris, while Trump was favored by 35% of the group.
These numbers can only worry those blindly following the Democrats’ path. A few volunteers, avoiding the record heat, were noticeably shifting from door-knocking campaigns to phone outreach. Their seemingly desperate strategy focused exclusively on drawing the Latino public to support Harris and Walz.
Harris shockingly took a moment to laud Biden’s dubious policy of denying asylum to illegal entrants into the United States. Assuming this move would boost voter confidence, she dove headfirst into the tricky waters of border issues. This brave, or one might argue, naive act, followed the record influx of migrants during Biden’s administration.
Illinois, Pritzker’s home state, had to allocate hundreds of millions of dollars to manage the uncontained flow of new arrivals. Many of these migrants arrived as part of a program initiated by Texas Governor, Greg Abbott. It comes as no surprise that Pritzker criticized Abbott, labeling the program as ‘inhumane.’ He also blamed Trump for sabotaging border bills for his own political benefit.
Both Pritzker and Kelly wasted no time in brandishing Trump as a nightmare for Latinos – an attempt that reeked of scaremongering tactics. They even sought sympathy from their Latino constituents by portraying Trump as a threat to their family and friends. On the flip side, they painted Harris in a light that seemingly ‘cared’ for people.
Despite these blatant attempts for gaining sympathy, questions lingered. An attendee expressed concerns about restrictions on immigrants under a potential Trump administration. However, Harris’ open-door policy, which might even offer amnesty to undocumented immigrants, was met with skepticism. The event concluded with pro-Palestinian supporters expressing their opinions loudly, a fitting end to an event reeking of desperation and deception.