Staff Reports
The Harris campaign finds itself scrambling as the former President Donald Trump appears to be picking up steam in traditionally blue states. While most candidates enjoy a post-convention boost—a time for soaring approval ratings and enthusiastic crowds—Vice President Kamala Harris is stuck in the slow lane, trying to make sense of her lackluster launch.
In an unusual move, the campaign has Thrown Harris and her trusty sidekicks—Minnesota’s Governor Tim Walz and her husband, Doug Emhoff—into a whirlwind of visits across these blue territories that are starting to feel more purple by the day. After a weekend focused on swing states, the plan has now pivoted toward New Hampshire, where a recent poll indicates Harris’s lead has shrunk to a mere four points. This all comes before she makes an appearance there, leaving many to wonder what the strategy really is.
Between today and Wednesday, the three Harris-Walz principals (Kamala, Tim, Doug) will be doing events in NH, MN & VA, the 3 Blue states Trump seemed to have put in play right before Biden got out. (No NM or NJ….yet). Coincidence? https://t.co/IqCyPlbByf
— Mark Halperin (@MarkHalperin) September 2, 2024
Meanwhile, Walz is doing his thing back in Minnesota, where Trump’s support has swung from a ten-point deficit to just five. It seems Harris’s ticket mate is not only raising eyebrows but also raising tension as he tries to keep a grip on his home state. At the same time, Emhoff is off to Virginia, where Trump’s polling numbers are almost shocking for a blue state—for a President who is supposedly so unpopular, you’d hardly know it from these numbers.
The timeline of these visits raises eyebrows; they’re taking place in the midst of what was supposed to be a logical campaign rhythm. The stops could be interpreted as a desperate last-ditch effort to maintain relevance and support in states that, only a few months ago, seemed like safe bets. This sudden shift comes right on the heels of a disastrous week, overshadowed by the campaign’s completely misguided attack on 13 Gold Star families—an incident that blew up spectacularly and left many questioning the campaign’s judgment.
Now, to top it off, there’s chatter about sending Biden on the campaign trail, which could only mean one thing: desperation is setting in. An ABC News/Ipsos poll points to a dismal reality: Harris received zero bounce from her big convention moment. It seems even liberal-leaning media outlets are having a tough time putting a positive spin on this latest electoral train wreck. In a time when party unity should be thriving, the Harris-Walz team appears to be grasping for straws, all while Trump and his supporters look on with bemusement.
