Starting my last week of door knocking in the swing state of Michigan, and this New York Times article (Sept. 22) captures so much of what I’ve been hearing from undecided voters.
“One challenge both campaigns face is that undecided voters’ pessimism often bleeds into cynicism.”
Michigan is up for grabs — too close to call 6 weeks before the election. The Harris campaign must not take these undecided voters for granted as the Clinton campaign reportedly did in 2016. By all indications, the One Michigan Campaign, the Progressive Turnout Project and Seed the Vote campaign are mobilizing hundreds of people to talk with these undecided voters in Michigan and in the other swing states.
After listening to their concerns, their cynicism, and sometimes their anger, I would respond to the undecided voter this way:
I hear you; I share your mistrust, and I agree that both of our political parties are captured by big money and special interests.
Sitting out this election cedes our power to others; we must take back our power.
The Democratic Party is flawed but it’s not malevolent like the GOP. If we can get Democrats into the White House, in the Senate and in the House, there will be a chance to reform so much of what is broken.
Given our flawed system, a Third Party cannot win. A protest vote may feel good but it’s a very brief high which ultimately hurts. Don’t vote Third Party.
Regardless of who wins, we need to stay engaged and push our leaders to do the right thing.
If I had the ear of the Harris campaign, or of VP Kamala Harris herself, this is what I would say to her:
The undecided voter has good reasons for not jumping on your bandwagon. Your proclamations of “joy” and an “opportunity economy” ring shallow to the undecided voters who are struggling to pay the rent and put food on the table. Are you even listening to them?
Be bold; take chances. Your handlers and advisers are not serving you well. Despite the Dem Party leaders tacking to the center, you must forge a new Democratic Party which moves towards the working class, those who have been forgotten and ignored.
Foreign policy isn’t a big issue with most undecided voters, and I understand your reluctance to distance yourself from President Biden’s failed Middle East policy. But the U.S. has lost relevance and credibility on the world stage with our double-standards and military support for Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza. I agree with Suriya Jayanti that you have consistently presented yourself as both humane and pro law-and-order. Taking a more balanced approach to Israel only requires adhering to these same goals and principles. There has been extensive analysis of the many ways the U.S. bypasses its own laws on Israel. All you need to do is stop this. (How Kamala Harris Can Craft a Fair Middle East Policy).
Kamala Harris must earn every vote. She must earn the vote of the new mother who told me she can’t afford decent housing even with a good job so she has moved back in with her parents. Harris must win the vote of the young African American man (23 years old) who is working 3 jobs to save enough money to escape the difficult circumstances he lives in now. She must earn the vote of the elderly Asian man who is tired of the angry, divisive politics and skeptical that anyone can fix it. And she must earn the votes of the Palestinian-Americans whose families and loved ones have been killed in Gaza with U.S. bombs.
4. Even if Kamala wins, there's not a lot she can do without a supportive Congress. Down-ballot votes are just as important.
Great message. I especially appreciated your bullet points for Kamala Harris.