With the 2024 presidential election mere days away, Vice President Kamala Harris descended upon the critical battleground state of Pennsylvania Wednesday to make her closing argument to voters. Speaking to an energetic crowd in Harrisburg, Harris painted a vivid contrast between the futures America faces with her or Donald Trump in the Oval Office come January.
“In less than 90 days, either he or I will be in the Oval Office,” Harris declared, her voice reverberating through the packed Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex. “We know who Donald Trump is. This is someone who is not thinking about how to make your life better. This is someone who is unstable, obsessed with revenge, consumed with grievance and out for unchecked power.”
High Stakes in the Keystone State
Pennsylvania, with its 20 electoral votes, is perhaps the most critical swing state in this nail-biter of an election. Polls show Harris and Trump locked in a dead heat here, and both campaigns have been blitzing the state in the final stretch. Harris’ running mate Tim Walz also stumped in Pennsylvania Wednesday, underscoring just how crucial a win here is to their path to 270 electoral votes.
“In these next six days, let us be intentional about building community. Let us please be intentional about building coalitions and let us remember we have so much more in common than what separates us.”
– Kamala Harris
Harris’ message aimed to rise above the divisions and controversies that have marred the final weeks of the campaign. When briefly interrupted by protesters, she emphasized that “unlike Donald Trump, I don’t believe people who disagree with me are the enemy from within. He wants to put them in jail. I’ll give them a seat at the table.”
A Rally for Democracy
For many in attendance, like first-time rally-goer Corine Wherley, 38, this election is nothing less than a fight for the future of American democracy. “A lot of it was the rhetoric around ‘this secret’ and other things like that they’re planning on doing,” she said, referring to Trump’s ominous comment about a “little secret” with House Speaker Mike Johnson, widely interpreted as a plan to contest the election.
Others, like Philadelphia healthcare worker Shawna Barnes, 45, worry about a possible enthusiasm gap among male voters. “Black and brown women are going to come out and support. White women of course are going to support. The men are just kind of like afraid,” she observed.
Mobilizing the Latino Vote
In a state with a substantial Latino and Puerto Rican population that could tip the balance, Harris noticeably did not address the recent controversy over a pro-Trump comedian’s racist remark about Puerto Rico at the Madison Square Garden rally Sunday. Some, like Puerto Rican flight attendant Minerva Ortiz-Garcia, 68, feel Harris needs to speak directly to Latinos. “I think that people want her to say something directly,” she said, wiping away tears.
As the final countdown begins, Harris is banking on her closing message of unity and a brighter future to carry her over the finish line first in Pennsylvania and nationwide. With the specter of 2020 still looming large, the next six days will decide whether America stays the course or takes a sharp right turn. In this battle for the soul of the nation, it’s all hands on deck in the Keystone State.
