Staff Reports
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump both attempted to draw attention to their respective campaigns in Pennsylvania on Monday night, but their approaches revealed a stark contrast in style and substance. While Harris seemed keen on delivering a somewhat predictable message about Trump being a threat, it’s hard not to appreciate the irony that her “joyful” persona has lost its luster in the final stretch of the campaign.
Harris kicked off her Pennsylvania rally in Erie, using an introduction by Senator John Fetterman to set the stage. Ironically, she may have borrowed a page from Trump’s manual of theatrics, holding up a video montage attacking him as “unfit” for office. Her rally model appears to hinge on fear-mongering over Trump’s calls for military support against the “enemy within,” a term he used to describe radical leftists disrupting the American way of life. It’s amusing that her claim of Trump being unfit rests heavily on snippets of comments, an odd choice for someone whose party claims to champion free speech, unless it’s critical of them.
Harris just lost Wisconsin to Trump in the last 24 hours. Harris has no path to victory without that state. pic.twitter.com/R6X97RfLM4
— Midnight (@Nocte_Insanire) October 10, 2024
During Harris’s speech, she double-dipped on fear tactics, yet her argument lacks depth. Suggesting that Trump is out to silence journalists, judges, and election officials is a classic case of projection, given the treatment dissenters have received from her party. Just take a glance at the treatment of conservative commentators or whistleblowers; they might as well be speaking in whispers at a library for how marginalized they feel.
Meanwhile, Trump took to the opposite side of the state with Governor Kristi Noem in Oaks, clearly reveling in the opportunity to connect with his base. He addressed his supporters with humor, even cracking jokes about medical emergencies at the rally due to the heat. While the media might spin this as chaos, it’s hard not to see it as part of his raw charm. His playful banter about fainting fits perfectly in Republican gatherings where the atmosphere feels less like a funeral and more like a family reunion.
However, sincere admiration for Trump’s stamina shines through, particularly with hints of what he’s endured lately. He acknowledges security risks from the crazed opposition, making the necessity for a strong leadership that much clearer. Trump’s assertion that winning Pennsylvania equates to winning the election captures some wisdom that Harris’s campaign seems to lack. The Keystone State indeed holds weight, and you can bet that he’s not just reading the tea leaves on this one.
In the lead-up to the November election, polls show that this state could be a pivotal battleground. The thin margins—where Trump holds a slight lead in most polls—might keep some Democrats awake at night, especially with Harris’s sagging numbers since summer. Harris plans to return to Pennsylvania soon, but whether she can spark any joy after such an uninspiring performance remains to be seen. For now, it appears the political landscape in the Keystone State may just hinge more on Trump’s charisma and ability to rally his supporters than on Harris’s faltering attempts to implant fear in theirs.
