Top Dems in Battleground PA Are Not Happy with the Harris Campaign: ‘Everybody’s Very Nervous’
The article discusses concerns among some Democrats regarding Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign strategy in Pennsylvania. As the race progresses, there are fears that Harris may not effectively connect with local voters, particularly in light of criticisms aimed at her campaign manager, Nikki Lu. Critics claim Lu lacks an understanding of Philadelphia’s political landscape and has created a culture that neglects local officials. The importance of Pennsylvania as a swing state is highlighted, with Elon Musk’s upcoming talks there indicating its strategic value for both Harris and former President Donald Trump.
Additionally, there are worries about Harris’s appeal to Catholic voters, a significant demographic in Pennsylvania, due to her progressive stance on issues like abortion and gender ideology. Columnist William McGurn emphasizes that many traditional Democratic voters may be skeptical of their party under Harris’s leadership. there is a growing sense of urgency among local Democratic officials to strengthen the campaign’s approach as Election Day approaches.
Vice President Kamala Harris may be fumbling her chance to win Pennsylvania, according to some Democrats who are second-guessing the campaign even as the race is in progress.
“Pennsylvania is such a mess, and it’s incredibly frustrating,” one figure, identified only as a “Democratic elected official in the state,” told Politico in a report published Wednesday.
The Democrat predicted Harris would still win the state, but said the win would come “in spite of the Harris state campaign.”
The Harris strategy in Pennsylvania is to win big in the metro areas — Philadelphia and Pittsburgh — where most minority voters live, to offset the Trump edge among rural residents.
Pennsylvania campaign manager Nikki Lu — a Pittsburgh native, according to Politico — has been the object of criticism.
“I have concerns about Nikki Lu,” Ryan Boyer, the first black leader of Philadelphia’s building trades council, an organized labor powerhouse, told Politico. “I don’t think she understands Philadelphia.”
Another Democratic elected official called Lu “AWOL,” according to Politico.
A Pennsylvania Democratic strategist, meanwhile, told Politico that Lu “empowers a culture” that leaves local officials feeling neglected.
State Rep. Danilo Burgos, who represents a district in Philadelphia, said Latino leaders are also worried, but said “things are moving in the right direction” after he met with Harris campaign officials.
“Everybody’s very nervous,” he told Politico. “And I think that as we get closer, people get more tense. And they’re more vocal.”
The importance of the swing state to Harris and former President Donald Trump is shown by the fact that SpaceX CEO and Trump supporter Elon Musk has said he will give “a series of talks from tomorrow night through Monday” in Pennsylvania, according to Reuters
In a piece published Monday, Wall Street Journal columnist William McGurn wrote that Harris has a problem connecting with Catholic voters in Pennsylvania.
“Her San Francisco progressive persona isn’t a good fit for Joe Biden’s native state,” the summary headline stated.
“Harris’s problem is that exit polls from 2020 show 30% of the state’s voters are Catholic,” McGurn wrote.
He noted that the recent furor over video of a fake communion staged by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and a liberal podcaster was indicative of the tone-deafness of liberals when it comes to Catholic voters.
McGurn noted that Harris has a history to overcome to convince Catholic voters to support her. He quoted Catholic activists to illustrate the point.
“Throughout her career as a public official, Kamala Harris has long used government power to try to coerce people of faith to violate their consciences, especially regarding abortion and gender ideology,” Kristen Waggoner, CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom, said, McGurn wrote.
And according to McGurn, CatholicVote president Brian Burch said Harris cannot count on the Democrats who voted for President Joe Biden in 2020 to support her.
“Many Catholics in Pennsylvania are Democrats by tradition who might have voted for Joe Biden but have grown increasingly skeptical about their party under Kamala Harris,” Burch said.
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