Harris’s Greatest Closing Argument Isn’t Coming From Her

Samuel L. Jackson strutted out onstage at James R. Hallford Stadium exterior Atlanta final night time and tried to lend Kamala Harris a few of his lifelong cool: “We’ve heard her favourite curse phrase is a favourite of mine too!” (Sadly, he restrained himself from saying it—after all you already know what it’s.)

Harris’s crew had curated a star-heavy invoice, together with Spike Lee, Tyler Perry, Bruce Springsteen, and Barack Obama. Hundreds of potential voters had come out in assist of Harris, however in the long run, the night felt extra like an anti-Trump rally. And though Harris was the headliner, she appeared extra like a role-player in an ensemble.

A New York Instances/Siena School ballot launched this morning has Donald Trump and Harris dead-even for the favored vote, at 48 to 48. Up shut, if you expertise them in a reside setting, the 2 campaigns couldn’t be extra totally different. Trumprallies stay darkish, campy spectacles: somewhat Lee Greenwood, some Village Individuals, then a bunch of dystopian hyperbole and chaotic tangents from an aspiring authoritarian. It’s the identical present in a special metropolis, night time after night time, all the time with cultlike devotion from the MAGA devoted. Democrats, in contrast, maintain making an attempt to rekindle that singular Obama essence from 16 years in the past, with intermittent success. Harris has discovered her rallying cry with “We’re not going again!” and she or he usually talks in regards to the future. However the core product being supplied by her crew may greatest be described as nostalgia for the pre-Trump period.

You possibly can hear it within the soundtrack final night time: Earth, Wind & Fireplace’s “September,” Marvin Gaye’s “Bought to Give It Up,” Stevie Marvel’s “Sir Duke,” plus some Outkast for the native Georgia crowd. All of it amounted to a balmy, tranquil night that unfolded because the solar went down—but it surely wasn’t fiery. Instead of attire with aggressive slogans, I handed a man in a shirt that stated #PledgeEquality, and one other man in a hat that stated, merely, Vibes. I noticed individuals making hearts with their palms and snapping in approval throughout sure speeches (versus the cadre of Trump supporters hurling center fingers throughout his rallies). Springsteen performed three songs on acoustic guitar, together with a Bob Dylan–esque model of his synth-pop hit “Dancing within the Darkish.” All of this was inoffensive—like Jackson refusing to say “motherfucker.” On the one hand, you can say this pivot to “normalcy” is a calculated rejection of Trumpian bombast and bluster, and that’s why, in idea, it ought to work. However, it was somewhat boring.

I used to be shocked to see some attendees start to filter out a number of minutes into Harris’s speech. She touched on the large themes of her marketing campaign—defending People’ rights and particular person freedom—however she additionally maybe spent a bit an excessive amount of time discussing plans and insurance policies. To make sure, this may increasingly have are available in response to critics who’ve stated her marketing campaign is brief on substance and specifics. Or perhaps it was an act of warning. However the actuality is that folks pack right into a soccer stadium as a result of they need to roar, not essentially to listen to proposals.

Harris had the unenviable process of following Obama, some of the gifted political orators alive. Along with his sleeves rolled up—no tie, no jacket—he was as snug and interesting as ever. However he additionally appeared pissed. As I noticed in Pennsylvania not too long ago, he has zeroed in on attacking Trump, whose potential reelection could be a rebuke of all that Obamaism stands for: optimism, and a steadfast perception within the American dream. (It was additionally hanging to witness how a lot Obama has influenced the technology of Democratic leaders beneath him; in his remarks, Jon Ossoff, the 37-year-old Georgia senator, mimicked Obama’s inflection, his faraway stare, his realizing half-smile, and his call-and-response technique.)

However the best speaker of the night time, and presumably of all the Harris marketing campaign up to now, was the leisure mogul Tyler Perry. He related with the group by telling his life story with uncooked, concrete anecdotes: hiding from his landlord, sleeping in his automobile or in an extended-stay lodge, coping with repo males. He spoke of his private journey of studying the reality about Trump the charlatan, Trump the racist. He carved a transparent arc that ended with what a Harris presidency would imply to others like him. He additionally delivered the road of the 12 months: “It was so vital for me to face with a candidate who understands that we, as America—we’re a quilt. And I may by no means stand with a candidate who desires America to be a sheet.” Perry’s speech gave the impression of none different I’ve heard over the previous two years of campaign-trail occasions, and that’s why it hit.

Tonight, Harris will host one other large-scale rally, this time in Houston, the place she’ll be joined by a local Houstonian and one of many largest stars on the planet: Beyoncé. Tomorrow, Harris will head to Michigan and marketing campaign with one in all her celebration’s hottest figures, former First Girl Michelle Obama. Harris could also be leaving a few of the most memorable and compelling closing arguments to her surrogates, and that won’t matter to many citizens. Ultimately, although, overly cautious campaigning doesn’t essentially encourage confidence amongst those that are undecided. Harris’s messaging towards Donald Trump has advantage, however the concepts that penetrate deepest are people who strike at one’s private core—such because the tales that Perry instructed final night time. With 11 days left, it’s unclear whether or not Harris feels snug sufficient to go down that path.

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Stephanie Bai contributed to this text.

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