Staff Reports
The Harris campaign is trying to pull off a strategy that resembles a desperate salvage operation, holding moderated conversations aimed at winning over centrist suburban voters. These are the same neighborhoods that delivered Donald Trump his victory in 2016, only to swing back into the Biden camp in 2020. In an apparent stroke of brilliance, Harris is teaming up with Liz Cheney, of all people, in hopes of wooing those who might have previously thrown their support behind Nikki Haley, who has a loyal following among centrists and the college-educated elite.
Cheney, the former congresswoman from Wyoming, has woven her way back into the political fray after being cast out by her own party for her participation in the melodrama surrounding Trump’s role in the infamous January 6 Capitol protest. Once a part of Republican leadership, her fall from grace culminated when she supported Trump’s second impeachment and was subsequently dethroned in her own primary. Now, in a bizarre twist of fate, she is heralding the choice between Harris and Trump as “absolutely clear.” Cheney seems to believe that foreign adversaries are just waiting to take advantage of Trump’s unpredictability, an opinion sure to comfort many who found Cheney’s previous positions just as unpredictable.
Harris hunts for GOP votes as Democrats fear her base support is eroding https://t.co/vQEidfIJ9u
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) October 23, 2024
In a gathering in Malvern, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, Cheney put women who oppose abortion in a rather awkward position. She urged them to put aside their beliefs on abortion and implied that the Republican restrictions have become excessively draconian since the Dobbs decision. This might just be the crossing of the proverbial Rubicon for Cheney, who insists that what’s happening in states like Texas—such as suing for access to women’s medical records—simply can’t stand. For those who thought the Supreme Court’s decisions would lead to greater debate and discussion, it turns out they were wrong; it’s now being used as a tool for political maneuvering.
Meanwhile, Harris tried her best to project a tone of moderation, promising to “invite good ideas from wherever they come,” as if her party’s platform over the past few years was based on anything but extreme leftist policies. During a visit to Michigan, she proclaimed that what’s at stake in this upcoming election was too important to get bogged down in partisan squabbles, a statement that probably raised some eyebrows among her own party faithful.
Despite Harris’s efforts to appear relatable, there’s palpable concern among Democrats about her dwindling support among working-class voters in the Midwest. Organizations that traditionally endorsed Biden, such as the Teamsters and the Fire Fighters, appear to be keeping their distance this time around. Some strategists within the party believe she needs to pivot towards a more populist approach, emphasizing her administration’s supposed achievements, such as the CHIPS Act, to connect with these voters who feel neglected.
Republicans are quick to point out that Harris’s previous stances on issues like electric vehicles and fracking don’t exactly resonate with the blue-collar worker demographic. The GOP sees Trump as a disruptor, someone who appeals to culturally conservative voters that feel abandoned by both parties. While Harris is labeled as the quintessential establishment candidate, it’s clear that these voters are itching for change, a sentiment that might leave her scrambling to catch up as Trump’s rallying cry of “Make America Great Again” continues to echo louder than her carefully crafted messages of moderation.
