Staff Reports
With just three weeks to go until election day, the Kamala Harris campaign is scrambling to shore up votes in pivotal swing states, particularly Georgia. This southern state, which switched to Biden in 2020 after a long Republican streak since 1996, holds 16 precious electoral votes that could give either candidate a crucial edge. It seems the Harris team has realized that unless they take Georgia seriously, their hopes of staying in the White House could go up in smoke faster than a car in a Biden gas line.
The Obama star power has recently made a comeback. Michelle Obama is set to headline an Atlanta rally hosted by “When We All Vote,” a voter turnout initiative she launched back in 2018. Despite her high-profile DNC speech in August that rattled the rafters with its apparent enthusiasm, the former first lady has been about as present on the campaign trail as a ghost. NBC News even noted Michelle’s conspicuous absence, indicating that the campaign may be sweating bullets over her effectiveness in rallying support for Harris.
New: Michelle Obama will headline an Atlanta rally on Oct. 29 with celebrities and local civic leaders to boost voter turnout. The nonpartisan event is aiming at engaging younger, first time voters and communities of color.https://t.co/0nW9RnNAr0
— Matt Brown (@mrbrownsir) October 16, 2024
Speculation has tied Michelle’s low profile to safety concerns, particularly after some eyebrow-raising assassination attempts on former President Trump. Following these high-profile threats, a shadow of caution has reportedly fallen over the quarters of former first families, and Secret Service agents are undoubtedly updating their strategies. One insider revealed that this new reality has weighed heavily on the thinking of Michelle and others, making them think twice before stepping out into the public eye.
Despite this hesitance, Obama recently made an appearance in Pittsburgh where he spoke to a crowd of black men. The comments made waves, as some reports suggest that he implied those men aren’t exactly warming up to the notion of a woman in the Oval Office. A recent New York Times/Siena poll indicates that only 71% of black registered voters currently support Harris, signaling a historic low for a Democrat among this demographic. It’s a slightly embarrassing position for the party that prides itself on championing diversity and inclusion, but hey, a few awkward facts never stopped a liberal from celebrating their views.
Interestingly, while Democrats grapple with these troubling numbers, Trump appears to be making impressive inroads into the black voter base. The same poll shows 18% of registered black voters leaning towards Trump, a dramatic increase from the paltry support he garnered in 2020. While in 2020 Biden bagged a whopping 92% of the black vote, these newfound Trump supporters promise to shake up the political landscape as their share of the vote grows with each election cycle, going from 13.5% of eligible voters in 2020 to an expected 14% in 2024. In other words, conservative voices are starting to resonate, and the silent majority is making noise.
