The opinion was about how Josh Shapiro would make a difference
Kamalamania, a pandemonium of black voters in the era of multi-ethnicity: Five years after the 2016 election, Harris was the first black president
On Tuesday night, a crowd cut across generations erupted into a 10,000 person surf, over the prospect of a Democratic presidential nominee, and their desire to ward off another Trump White House. There was no mistaking the pandemonium. In the same state where Donald Trump was indicted on election interference charges, Vice President Harris drew her biggest crowd of supporters. Kamalamania had arrived.
The star power in every direction was on stage. Rapper Quavo underscored the importance of voting. Megan Thee Stallion twerked to “Savage.” He spoke of an America that embraced all of our children, as a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. Harris was strengthened by Georgia’s changing political future when they started the night with her. Before long, chants of “Not going back” filled the arena.
It was not an expected sight. These are not likely times. Harris would be the first Black and South Asian President in the history of the United States if she is elected in November.
To get the support of black voters, Harris will need to get along with other Democrats, who have not loosened their opposition to Harris. According to one Pew study, 85 percent of Black voters with college degrees identified with the Democratic Party in 2020. By 2023, that number dropped to 79 percent. The party will likely continue to lose ground with black voters this year, as was noted in a Data For Progress study.
Tuesday’s event was an early test of Harris’ national appeal. It featured all the raucous ornamentation of a rock concert, and perhaps for the first time since the 2008 campaign, Democrats were again mindful of the urgency before them, and what it called for. So when the vice president finally took the stage, she wasted no time. “I know Donald Trump’s type,” she said of his criminal past, and that much was true.
It was also true that the rally was a portrait of a multicultural America as much as it was calculated political theater—the very scene that inspires voters to show up on Election Day, but one that also gets called out for its over-the-top fanaticism.
They weren’t entirely off the mark. Since Harris entered the race less than two weeks ago, she has undergone a remarkable catapult into popular culture. Every identity group began grassroots organizing. Informal Zoom rallies were held. The amount of cash poured in. Most of the donations in the week were from first-timers. Harris accomplished the impossible when he knocked Trump out of the news cycle, re-orientation the media’s center of gravity and embraced the viral kismet of Brat Summer.
Mr. Shapiro would send a message to the progressives that Ms. Harris is not a left-wing convert and that she puts experience ahead of ideology. Choosing him would add an experienced governor from a swing state who could appeal to many moderate Democrats, independents and some Nikki Haley voters on a multitude of key issues. He would provide balance to the ticket and underscore that there is a place for moderates in today’s Democratic Party.
For those who look at politics as a mosaic of identities, Mr. Shapiro would also reassure Jewish voters — long a key part of winning Democratic voter coalitions — at a time when many of them see hostility and antisemitism coming from some in the far left of the party. Now, some pundits and analysts of presidents and their running mates will wonder if adding an observant Jew to a ticket headed by a Black woman is a ticket to nowhere. The election of Mr. Obama and the rise of Ms. Harris suggest that Americans are more focused on party unity and defeating Donald Trump than they are on race and religion. Remember that Joe Lieberman was the first Jewish vice-presidential nominee in 2000, and he deepened the heft, experience and integrity of Al Gore’s ticket.
Vice President Harris is perceived to be left leaning by the public and that is the main weakness of her candidacy. Ms. Harris has criticized the U.S. Immigration and Customs enforcement, supported single-payer health care, and even praised the defund the police movement. More recently, opponents have blamed her for what they see as a too-porous southern border.
It’s just after 6 a.m. at a mosque in suburban Georgia, and the topic of discussion over breakfast is Kamala Harris. “Let’s see what happens, right. The South Asian community knows that they can change the outcome of the election with their turnout and engagement. Asian Americans are the fastest-growing voting bloc in Georgia, and South Asians make up the largest percentage of that group, totaling around 86,000 eligible voters. In 2020 Joe Biden won the election by over 11,000 votes. “The path to the White House runs right through this state.” Harris is the first South Asian nominee of the Democratic Party. There is so much hope that I feel. We found new enthusiasm in Fulton County, but some were waiting to see where Harris stood on the issues. I am re-engaged. I consider myself an independent. I am not sure if I will vote before Harris enters because I was not a fan of both candidates. “But I don’t know if anyone really expected how exhilarating it would feel. I feel a connection to her because I am a South Asian. I would like to be doing more than just voting this time. A fund-raiser is being planned for the very first time by Parul Kapur, who is now having meetups with her friends. When did you hear that and what was your reaction? “She’s been a U.S senator. Now, she’s been vice president for four years. That’s a pretty impressive résumé. I was thinking that I would be the next president of the United States. That is true. A lot of people were willing to vote for someone like Biden even if they were scared. It felt very much like they would bite the bullet. People want to vote and they feel like they have something to do. Sharing identity is popular with the group, but the conversation shifts to policy. “And somehow we forget that there is a middle class for a lot of us. Taxation, inflation, all those are important issues for us.” The economy is going to be the thing that ultimately decides this election. The topic at the mosque is the war in Gaza. The Asian American community doesn’t always fit into a nice box. We all have different identities. I am a Muslim American. And how I see the election is kind of a combination of these different factors. Gaza is still the most pressing issue, and I want to see where Harris will differentiate herself from Biden. Asian American voters here decisively chose Biden in 2020, but in the four years since, their support for him has declined. These voters could be crucial for Harris to win or lose the state. “She has the potential to change the equation of how things are done for the better. The entire society is changing. I have seen that because when I arrived is when the change started, right — ’69 until today. That has been the browning of America. “It’s an open conversation. So I think the Asian American vote, they can be convinced to switch loyalty for candidates and parties. I am pretty sure I will vote, but I will allow for a little wiggle room because so much can happen.