The night time earlier than Kamala Harris units off on a closing multi-day swing by the important thing battleground states that can resolve the 2024 presidential election, she gave one final speech, virtually within the shadow of the White Home.
The venue alternative was no accident. Donald Trump held his rally on 6 January 2021 in the identical place, chatting with supporters simply hours earlier than 1000’s of them stormed the Capitol and disrupted certification of Joe Biden’s presidential victory.
On a gentle October night time, Harris stood earlier than what her marketing campaign estimated was 70,000 cheering supporters at an occasion they might hope is a counterpoint to that chilly, violent January day.
And within the unlikely likelihood the symbolism was missed by anybody watching, Harris made it specific early in her speech.
“We all know who Donald Trump is,” she mentioned on Tuesday. “He’s the one who stood at this very spot almost 4 years in the past and despatched an armed mob to america Capitol to overturn the need of the individuals in a free and honest election.”
Harris didn’t dwell on the 6 January riot, nevertheless. The venue did many of the heavy lifting, offering the subtext to the speech and the purpose from which Harris may pivot.
Whereas she opened by darkly warning of an “unstable” and “unhinged” Trump “obsessive about revenge”, she turned to give attention to what she known as her “totally different path”.
Acknowledging that many undecided American voters “are nonetheless attending to know” her after her abbreviated presidential marketing campaign, Harris touched on the highlights of her biography and upbringing.
She went on to hit a few of her prime coverage proposals, together with decreasing the price of housing, increasing the kid tax credit score and including homecare protection to government-provided medical health insurance for the aged.
She spent much more time speaking about abortion and the necessity to enact laws that gives nationwide abortion rights – a very sturdy space for Democrats over Republican opponents.
It was, in impact, a trimmed-down model of her Democratic Nationwide Conference handle – a bookend to the late August speech that the marketing campaign billed as an introduction to People.
Democrats have been using excessive again then, obsessed with their new nominee after weeks of despondency and infighting that led to Biden’s determination to desert his re-election bid.
ReutersSince then, Harris’s marketing campaign has had ups and downs, and is now locked in what’s shaping as much as be a photograph end subsequent week.
If the polls are correct, Harris nonetheless has work to be carried out to win over undecided People – and this speech was her final, greatest effort to take action on a distinguished stage, with the White Home looming over her shoulder.
Setting apart her biographical highlights and coverage particulars, the message her marketing campaign appears to need voters to take into consideration on election day is one among contrasts – of division versus unity; bitterness versus hope; partisanship versus co-operation; previous versus future.
“I pledge to hunt widespread floor and customary sense options to make your lives higher,” Harris mentioned. “I’m not seeking to rating political factors. I’m seeking to make progress.”
As she was delivering her speech, nevertheless, the present resident of the constructing behind her made feedback that illustrated how tough her job may be.
Biden, talking of a derisive joke about Puerto Rico {that a} comic made at a Trump rally on Sunday, appeared to consult with Trump supporters as “rubbish”.
The president later claimed he was referring solely to the feedback made by the rally speaker. However the video of his remarks are unclear – and the episode was already distracting from Harris’ occasion on Tuesday night.
It’s only one extra impediment Harris must overcome, together with assuaging People’ issues in regards to the economic system and immigration – the place polls point out Trump has the benefit.
She tried to deal with these in her speech as properly, even when they appeared to take a again seat to extra lofty language and pointed assaults.
Her speech framed the election in a manner that’s to her benefit. Subsequent Tuesday will reveal whether or not a majority of the American public – or at the least a plurality in sufficient key battleground states – agrees.
North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher is smart of the race for the White Home in his twice weekly US Election Unspun publication. Readers within the UK can join right here. These exterior the UK can join right here.