Trump's MAGA party goes full strict 'daddy'
At a Trump rally in Georgia last week, right-wing propagandist Tucker Carlson gave a clear glimpse of the "strict
In the final stretch of the 2024 election, Democratic voters are feeling anxious.
Polls remain tight. The initial bump of enthusiasm and momentum Kamala Harris generated when she unexpectedly entered the race has given way to reality: This campaign is a slog. Naturally, given the vibes of uncertainty, pundits and armchair experts have begun to second-guess the Harris campaign’s choices.
Some good news: This is normal. In my experience, Democrats often freak out in the final weeks of a campaign. Every campaign I’ve ever been involved with has followed this pattern. Panic sets in as the anxiety of anticipation becomes too much to bear. Every fluctuation in poll numbers provokes a new round of doom declarations. People who have never been on a campaign suddenly become keen political strategists, questioning every move and talking point. ("Bedwetters" is the official term for such doubters.) And then such griping evaporates amid the victory celebration … if there is a victory.
This is a tight race. It could go either way. But here’s the thing: It was always going to be close. Whether the candidate was Joe Biden or Kamala Harris or anyone else, this was never going to be easy. The cult of Trump has captured a formidable swath of voters. Nothing he does – including crimes – seems to matter. The more deranged and unstable he becomes, the more his base loves him. He is the ultimate avatar of Strict Father Morality, and a formidable proportion of American brains have been primed to see him as right no matter how much wrong he does. That’s just a fact.
Harris has a much tougher challenge. Sadly, being sane and rational and good and non-criminal is not enough. She must convince undecided voters that she is up to the task and that her vision best matches their moral worldviews. And she must do this as a history-making candidate – as a woman and a person of color who would break the highest glass ceiling in the land if elected president. She has her work cut out for her, especially since we have an Electoral College system where she could win millions more votes than Trump but still lose.
So yes, that mix of fear and hope we’re all feeling is natural and understandable. Harris is the underdog, but she knows this position very well. The story of Kamala Harris’s rise is a story of beating the odds and pulling off victories in races where defeat appeared more likely.
In 2003, she ran for district attorney of San Francisco. Her opponent was her former boss, the sitting DA, a man with formidable connections and bare-knuckle political skills. Yet she bested him to win her first elected office.
In 2010, Harris ran for California attorney general, along with six other Democrats, all men. Yet Harris defeated them in the primary and became the Democratic nominee. Her Republican opponent, Steve Cooley, was the district attorney of Los Angeles. She won by less than one percentage point in a race so close that her opponent embarrassed himself by falsely declaring victory on election night.
In 2020, her presidential campaign flopped. But she made enough of an impression that Joe Biden chose her as his running mate, landing her in the White House. Then, in a completely unexpected development this year, she became the Democratic nominee after Biden decided to end his campaign.
Harris has a track record of pulling off somewhat improbable victories amid great doubts. And while I have been one of her vocal critics, the question I ask myself today is: Did Kamala Harris come all this way just to lose at the most critical moment in American history?
It seems unthinkable.
Of course, anything is possible. That’s why Harris’s advisors have stayed busy mapping out her paths to victory. If you have questions about the campaign’s strategy, I highly recommend this interview with David Plouffe, a Harris campaign senior advisor.
Plouffe, President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign manager, explains why it’s better to be Kamala Harris than Donald Trump in the 2024 election.
Plouffe says Harris has a "slightly higher ceiling, and a better ability to win more undecideds."
“I think Kamala Harris may surprise at the end of the day with either straight-up Republicans or Independents who are essentially Republicans,” said Plouffe during an appearance on Pod Save America. “We’re seeing a continued strength there, and that matters a great deal, given how big those cohorts are.”
The Harris campaign has a massive volunteer operation designed to reach undecided voters in the swing states that will decide the race. Both Harris and Walz are going all out to speak directly to those voters.
“Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are going to go everywhere there is an audience of people who we think will be decisive in this election,” said Plouffe.
There are no guarantees in life, or in politics. This is a scary moment. But let's not give in to fear or doubt just yet. Harris has chosen the most experienced team possible. They have decided on a path to victory, and no one wants to win more than they do. There will be plenty of time for second-guessing – or not – after the campaign is over.
So let's try to keep our spirits high. Because even if the worst comes to pass and Trump wins, we'll need every ounce of enthusiasm and positive energy to sustain us in the struggle ahead.
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