by Alexis Simendinger & Kristina Karisc | The Hill
© The Associated Press / Carolyn Kaster | Vice President Harris and former President Obama in 2022.
Nearly a week into Vice President Harris’s unexpected campaign for the White House, she nailed down endorsements from major players, raised hundreds of millions in campaign dollars and closed some of President Biden’s gaps in the polls against former President Trump.
But with 102 days until voters cast their ballot, can Democrats maintain their upward swing?
A new boost came this morning in the form of an endorsement from former President Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, the last major Democrats to throw their support behind Harris. The former president and Harris have known one another for years, and he remains one of the party’s most popular figures. On the campaign trail, the Obamas are a force for moving votes and mobilization.
The Obamas’ call to Harris came Wednesday, and the former president said the Democrats would be “underdogs” in November but pledged to support her election.
Kamala has more than a résumé. She has the vision, the character, and the strength that this critical moment demands,” the Obamas wrote in a joint statement. “There is no doubt in our mind that Kamala Harris has exactly what it takes to win this election and deliver for the American people. At a time when the stakes have never been higher, she gives us all reason to hope.”
Other recent endorsements include several labor unions, and 40 former Justice Department officials who served presidents of both parties. In a letter, they warned that “the fabric of the nation, the rule of law and the future of the Democracy are at stake in this election … Former President Trump presents a grave risk to our country, our global alliances and the future of democracy.”
The vice president will head to Atlanta for a campaign event Tuesday, and Harris’s campaign said it will host events aimed at reaching voters in battleground states, featuring Democratic Party leaders whose names have been floated as potential running mates.
Harris is doing better than Biden was against the former president in the latest New York Times/Siena College poll, in which the match-up is within the margin of error among likely voters. It’s a jump from early July, when Biden lagged by 6 points in the aftermath of his poor debate performance.
As for debate number two, Harris told reporters Thursday she’s up for the challenge, needling Trump after he suggested he may not want to participate in an event hosted by ABC News, as previously planned.
“I have agreed to the previously agreed upon Sept. 10 debate. He agreed to that previously,” Harris said. “Now, here he is backpedaling, and I’m ready, and I think the voters deserve to see the split screen that exists in this race on a debate stage, and so I’m ready. Let’s go.”
The Trump campaign said Thursday it would not agree to a debate with Harris “until Democrats formally decide on their nominee,” claiming in a statement that there “is a strong sense by many in the Democrat Party … that Kamala Harris is a Marxist fraud who cannot beat President Trump, and they are still holding out for someone ‘better.’”
HALT HARRIS: The former president’s team was caught off guard by the timing of Biden’s exit, Axios reports, and the former president is facing a novel challenge: He has lost his grip on the news cycle and — temporarily at least — his message. Instead of commanding a bulk of media attention, he and his allies suddenly are now actively reacting to their opponents (The New York Times).
Trump allies are pouring another $32 million into attack ads aimed at defining Harris as an architect of the administration’s immigration and border security mistakes before she has time to respond as the likely Democratic nominee.
Harris has yet to pick her vice-presidential candidate, but the campaign has reportedly sent vetting documents to several candidates. Experts predict a likely pick would come from a swing state, have a strong leadership record — and be a white man.
SECOND THOUGHTS: Trump has made his VP pick, but is Sen. JD Vance (Ohio) ready for his close-up? Republicans initially thought so, but the grumbling on Capitol Hill has grown louder. Some criticize the first-term senator’s foreign policy ideas, lack of national experience, dedication to ultra-MAGA messaging tied to Trump and a history of shape-shifting personal packaging.
“He was the worst choice of all the options. It was so bad I didn’t even think it was possible,” one House Republican told The Hill’s Mychael Schnell. “Anti-Ukraine, more of a populist. He adds nothing to the Trump ticket. He energizes the same people that love Trump.”
Early polling suggests that as Americans learn more about Vance, he is perceived more unfavorably, albeit amid national partisan divisions. House Republicans, eager to expand their majority next year, may find it easier to blame Vance than Trump if something goes wrong in November.
“The prevailing sentiment is, if Trump loses, [it’s] because of this pick,” another lawmaker added. “It doesn’t help.”
