Harris emerging as the right fit for Biden campaign to energize the diverse Democratic voting base

Michelle Obama encapsulated what an awful lot of Americans woke up feeling Thursday morning, the day after Sen. Kamala Harris became Joe Biden's running mate for the White House. "You get used to it, even as a little girl—opening the newspaper, turning on the TV, and hardly ever seeing anyone who looks like you. You train yourself to not get your hopes up," Obama wrote. "[I]t always feels like someone is waiting to tell you that you’re not qualified. That you’re not smart enough. That you’re too loud or too bossy. That there’s just something about you . . . you’re just not quite the right fit. […] I’ve been thinking about all those girls growing up today who will be able to take it for granted that someone who looks like them can grow up to lead a nation like ours," Obama continued. "Because @KamalaHarris may be the first, but she won’t be the last."

Harris is the right fit, and she and Biden hit the ground running Thursday, first with a massive one-day fundraising haul of $34 million, with another $1.2 million in sales of campaign gear. That's great, but so is the "Biden-Harris" policies that are now being rolled out. The two held virtual briefings with economic and health advisors Thursday, to discuss the response to coronavirus and the core message that Trump has fumbled it every step of the way. Showing that this campaign will have policy and leadership teeth, Biden challenged governors in all states to impose mask mandates. “Every single American should be wearing a mask when they’re outside for the next three months at a minimum,” Biden said, “Every governor should mandate it.”

That was a strong kickoff to the campaign that will start in earnest, though a little bit strangely, in next week's virtual Democratic convention. Both Biden and Harris will be speaking from Wilmington, Delaware. As of right now, most of the plans for Biden-Harris are for television and some in-person events where the two will appear together, putting the image of a strong, accomplished woman of color on the national stage and hopefully energizing some of the voters that didn't come out in 2016. “She represents recognition of the desires of many of the base voters Democrats need that did not come out in maximum numbers in ’16,” Rev. Al Sharpton told the Post. He got one of the first booking calls from the campaign for Harris for the week after the convention. “She can make the difference in Michigan and Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and probably Florida. Because we feel respected and engaged.”

The flash polling from Politico/Morning Consult after the announcement reflects that reaction: "84% of Democrats approve of the selection as did 79% of Black voters. In addition, a 53% majority of voters overall approved of the pick, while just 29% did not." The announcement also gave both Biden and Harris personal favorability bounces, with Biden's now at 51%—the highest rating his received in this poll since he became the presumptive nominee—and Harris up to 45% after rating favorable by 33% in late July.

Putting Harris front and center, in battleground states and cities with large Black populations like Detroit, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia, is important for all those communities. The campaign is also hoping that her first generation immigrant background will motivate voters in immigrant-rich communities in red states that are poised to flip, like Arizona, Florida, and Texas. The very ugly and immediate response from team Trump—racist birtherism—should also help motivate not just voters of color, but every decent person in the country.

from Daily Kos https://ift.tt/2Y5KnMu