Taking it by storm
“Just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails.” The vision that one statement brings to life tells us just how important the 2024 election is going to be. Kamala Harris knows it, and she did her best to make the rest of us understand. She succeeded. She is a powerful speaker and woman. She exudes confidence and know-how. There was a time when men didn’t care for powerful women. They called us “aggressive” instead of “assertive.” At some point-and perhaps we should give the credit to all the women leaders in this country-that has changed. Kamala Harris is certainly assertive, and it looks good on her. She is also very genuine, a great persuasive speaker, and she exudes joy and love. Who wouldn’t want her in the White House? People who care only about themselves, like Donald Trump. He wants the power and authority the White House will give him, not to mention continuing to avoid accountability. When Kamala Harris speaks, we believe what she says.
Following the convention, the Hill reported that Harris’s favorability rating “surged” among both Democrats and independents. Harris’s approval rate has grown from 34% in June to 47% in August, showing that she continues to grow among potential voters. With respect to independents, Harris was at 28% but now sits at 41%. Harris is rising in virtually every type of poll, which bodes well for November. According to Newsweek, she is now 25% above Trump with Arizona Latinos. The Univision poll shows that 59% of likely Hispanic voters now support Harris while only 34% said they will vote for Trump. Why any Latino or Hispanic voters would choose Trump is interesting, given how he feels about immigrants. Harris’s immigrant parents give her a leg up with other immigrants; she knows their plight. She continues to rise, taking the lead in North Carolina according to FiveThirtyEight. Newsweek also reported that Harris now leads in 6 of 7 swing states, the holdout being Georgia, but Trump leads by only .5 points. That may well change before November.
Harris makes people feel connected to her, and some became even more connected after her speech. Gary Tuckman of CNN spoke with a group of undecided voters (and one who said she wasn’t voting at all) in Allentown, PA. He asked them to grade Harris’s speech from “A” to “F.” There were three “A” votes, some voted “B” or “B+,” and one gave her a “C.” Some of the best compliments were: “she spoke from her heart,” “I like her fight for the middle class and families,” “she looked presidential,” “she sounded presidential,” and “I think she’s going to be a unifier.” One liked that she’s fighting for women’s rights. Their only complaint was that she didn’t go into depth about how she would do the things she wants to do, but they understood that there was only so much time in that speech. At least she articulated specific plans unlike her opponent, who’s been rambling even more of late. He knows his days are numbered. Harris and Walz will take the White House and the country by storm.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years