Vice President Kamala Harris, with a general new-candidate shine, an appeal to both voters of color and younger ones, combined with a recent attempt to pivot to the center that could persuade suburbanites, has created an opening in Georgia and other Sun Belt states that seemed unlikely for President Joe Biden, Politico reported on Wednesday.
Her rally on Tuesday at the Georgia State Convocation Center before an enthusiastic crowd appeared to showcase this new optimism, with the fact that Biden's dismal debate performance last month against former President Donald Trump that demoralized so many Democrats also came in Atlanta adding to the symbolism of the changing fortunes.
Harris said at the rally that "the path to the White House runs right through this state. You all helped us win in 2020, and we're going to do it again in 2024," Politico reported.
She also challenged Trump to a debate, saying that if Trump has "something to say, say it to my face."
Republican strategists also admit that Harris has shaken up the race in Georgia in a way they had not thought possible two weeks ago.
Stephen Lawson, a veteran GOP strategist in Atlanta, summed up the view that "it feels like Georgia's re-entered the chat. Georgia was not in play for Joe Biden. Georgia is in play for Kamala Harris," adding that, "Trump has the slight edge, but I think the vice president has quickly cut into that."
One reason for that is while Trump has made inroads among Black voters, especially younger Black men that could make the difference in Georgia, Harris is seen with more of a potential to halt or reverse that trend, Politico reported.
Harris campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon said in a memo last week that the Biden-Harris swap "opens up additional persuadable voters who our campaign can work to win the support of," like the undecided segment, which are "disproportionately Black, Latino and under 30" and "are more likely to have supported the Biden-Harris ticket in 2020."
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.