Staff Reports
As Vice President Kamala Harris rolls into her second week on the campaign trail, she’s got her sights set on Georgia—a state that President Biden narrowly flipped in 2020 and may now be teetering back toward red. Although Harris has a chance of floating above the fray, polling data suggests she’s trailing former President Trump by a slim margin. With Harris at 46% and Trump at 48%, one can’t help but wonder if Georgia is ready to make a dramatic comeback for conservatism, just in time for the elections.
Politico-friendly strategists are buzzing about the supposed “excitement” among Democrats akin to the Obama years, with claims that Harris is igniting passionate support among the party’s base. But let’s pause for a moment and remember this is the same group that thought a “Blue Wave” was imminent in 2020, only to be met with reality—Americans were more interested in Trump’s America First policies than in whatever vague notions the Democrats were peddling. The statistics may show a bump in Harris’s numbers, but it seems more like an illusion than any sustainable momentum.
Harris swoops into Atlanta with Democrats saying she has put Georgia ‘in play’ https://t.co/NgQRK29njZ
— 99%problems 🌹🌎☮️✊🦖🦕 (@jay_james84) July 30, 2024
Harris’s Atlanta event, practically an all-star cast of Democratic darlings, including the likes of Senators Warnock and Ossoff, is touted as being electric with energy. One would assume that a rapper like Megan Thee Stallion would draw the crowds and create hype, but in reality, this type of event is a desperate attempt to inject life into a campaign that needs a serious adrenaline shot. If music is what they resort to, it’s safe to assume that serious policy discussions have taken a backseat. After all, if the ideas were good enough, they wouldn’t need the celebrity endorsements.
The Harris camp has also tossed around hefty fundraising numbers, claiming they broke records by raking in over $200 million in just one week. However, one must wonder where that money will be spent. Will it go toward serious initiatives that benefit Georgians or just further fill the coffers of campaign strategists who can’t get their heads around real American needs? It seems the grassroots moment is being marketed like a new smartphone—plenty of glitz but the substance is still questionable.
While it’s fair to acknowledge that Trump’s relationship with the Republican establishment in Georgia has become strained, one can’t overlook the fact that many voters remain loyal to the former president’s vision. His criticisms from within his own party only seem to fan the flames of support from an electorate sick of political games. As Harris strives to communicate a sense of unity among Democrats, it’s worth remembering that the real unification occurs when agendas align with the beliefs of the electorate, not just in the echo chamber of party insiders. The battle for Georgia is on, and it appears conservative values may still hold the upper hand.
