Without being burdened by the past, Democrats are focused on the future.
There are exactly one hundred days left until Election Day, and the countdown begins on Sunday. The passing of the torch from President Joe Biden to Vice President Kamala Harris occurred exactly one week ago. Moreover, Democrats across were over the moon to discuss the dramatically altered presidential contest.
The Democrats’ recent fears about Biden’s campaign and potential to unseat Trump have taken a drastic turn. Fearing that Biden at the head of the ticket would not only give Trump a second term but also cost the party power in Congress and state governments, dozens of Democratic lawmakers called on the president to drop out of the race after a catastrophic debate, which sparked weeks of party infighting.
“There’s a burst of energy out here,” stated Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who is being interviewed on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday morning. Walz is being considered as running mate for Harris. We know Joe Biden has been consistent on many topics, but now there’s a fresh surge of enthusiasm. I haven’t witnessed anything like yesterday’s labor rally in fifteen years.
Even while Democrats have a better chance of winning, Harris is still not in the lead. Even while the margin of victory is shrinking, the majority of polls still show that Trump has the support of Republicans nationwide and in critical states. The president-elect was ahead of Biden despite the fact that Biden’s campaign spent six times as much as Trump’s, and Trump had already paid off his cash deficit when Biden left the race.
But overall, party members are suddenly more invested in the race than they were before. In contrast to 37% of Biden backers in a previous poll earlier this month, 81% of Harris voters express enthusiasm for supporting her, according to a Wall Street Journal survey published on Friday night.
That excitement is also paying off financially. Following her rise to the presidency, Harris’s campaign was able to garner $200 million. People who gave for the first time accounted for two-thirds of the total. The campaign has 170,000 volunteers, in addition to the financial backers.
This week, other vice presidential candidates flocked to Sunday talk shows to praise Harris, saying that she was the party leader who ignited this renewed enthusiasm.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg commented on “Fox News Sunday,” saying, “Honestly, I have not seen a level of energy on the campaign trail in a long time.”
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker concurred on “This Week” with ABC’s host, saying, “Our candidate is the Energizer Bunny.” “She has been nonstop in the past few days, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to see her in the battleground states and across the nation. It’s been an exciting experience.”
Status of the battlefield Various Democratic parties across are already attempting to capitalize on the renewed enthusiasm. Democratic officials in the state are emphasizing the fundraising and volunteering blitz in key parties and want to use the buzz to help in down ballot contests in memos that were shared early with AWN and will be disseminated Monday. Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin are the six states that are considered battlegrounds for the distribution of the memoranda.
According to Arizona Democratic Party chair Yolanda Bejaron, “There’s never been a better time to get involved in our state party.” This statement was made in response to the following factors: “strong Democratic candidates, renewed energy across the ticket, record-breaking fundraising, enthusiastic grassroots support, targeted investments from national partners, and a well-oiled coordinated campaign emphasizing our party’s strengths and innovative programs.” In contrast, the Republican Party is running on their toxic Project 2025 agenda, with convicted felon Donald Trump at the head of the ticket.
The rhetoric surrounding Republican attacks has also softened. The Democrats’ strategy under Biden was to portray Trump and JD Vance as “a threat to democracy.” However, since then, they have changed their focus to describing the candidates as “weird.” It’s something Walz started a few weeks ago, and now it’s a popular way for Democrats to call out Trump’s “weird” campaign statements.
At her first big fundraiser since beginning her presidential campaign, Harris hosted a gathering in Massachusetts on Saturday, and the Democratic fervor for the party’s probable new standard-bearer was on full display. The event, which was hosted by former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick and included a joint performance by James Taylor, Yo-Yo Ma, and Emanuel Ax, attracted 800 people and raised over $1.4 million for Harris’ political operation, which was three times the organizers’ original target.
With an extended standing ovation from the sold-out crowd at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, the legendary singer-songwriter, Taylor, exclaimed, “May our ardent support be the wind in her sails,” as he introduced Harris.
Speaking at the event, Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) said AWN in advance that Harris brings a “X factor” that “the political experts did not predict would be a part of this campaign,” but which is now causing “really growing” enthusiasm among the party.
Democrats Jocelyn Chapman of Adams, Massachusetts, and Heather Cox Richardson of Boston were planning to attend the fundraiser even though Joe Biden pulled out, in large part because Chapman wanted to witness the musical performances and hear historian Heather Cox Richardson speak.
However, Chapman expressed her excitement, same to everyone else, as she awaited Harris to step onto the platform on Saturday. The whole situation changed in an instant.