Vice President Kamala Harris is having the best week of her political career, met by exaltation everywhere she goes.
Long a presidential hopeful, Harris has never felt so loved by Democrats. After they spent weeks tearing their hair out over Biden’s stumbles and frail appearance, the telegenic 59-year-old is riding high on the clear contrast with her boss—even turning the tables and painting Donald Trump as a crazy old criminal.
She has fired up those were feeling ho-hum about November: young people, women and voters of color. Charli XCX has deemed her “brat.” Beyoncé let her use her track Freedom for the Harris campaign. Even her step-daughter is an icon. Democrats, from left-wing Squad members to vulnerable Democrats in battlegrounds, are all abuzz. An instant internet sensation, she can do no wrong.
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That Big Kamala Energy stayed high Thursday when presumptive Democratic presidential nominee addressed the American Federation of Teachers’ national convention.
Her candidacy literally knocked longtime AFT President Randi Weingarten off balance.
“You can tell I’m excited, because I don’t think I’ve ever tripped up those stairs!” Weingarten exclaimed as she arrived at the podium.
Waving signs, the crowd roared as Weingarten asked attendees if they would set turnout records on Election Day.
Where Biden’s boasts about his administration’s accomplishments never really broke through, Harris’ most basic comments this week have inspired rousing applause.
“We want to ban assault weapons and they want to ban books,” she said. “Can you imagine?!”
Hitting her "freedom" theme, she took a thinly veiled jab at Gov. Ron DeSantis for his state's way of teaching about slavery.
“We who believe that every American should be free from bigotry and hate will fight to protect our teachers and our students from discrimination and make sure every student can learn America’s history,” Harris said Thursday. “And we who believe in reproductive freedom will restore the freedom of a woman to make decisions about her own body and not have her government telling her what to do.”
The crowd ate it up, as they have all week, especially when she repeated her now pat line that she can't believe Trump’s allies put Project 2025 in writing. She showed again on Thursday how she connects with her audiences.
“Bring it on!” the crowd echoed after she said the phrase on Thursday. “Bring it on, that’s right,” she said.
Harris is basking in the support, but her numbers haven't moved dramatically yet. While she has gained ground with young voters for the Democratic ticket, according to a new Axios/Generation Lab poll, she is still slightly lagging behind Trump in key battleground states.
So far on the trail, she appears constantly delighted, perhaps unintentionally employing the sales tip to smile while talking so the warmth carries through in her voice.
Her stump speech so far is heavy on freedom, a theme Democrats have been foregrounding since Roe v. Wade was overturned two years ago.
“The American people believe in the promise of freedom,” Harris continued. “So we are in the fight. We who believe in the freedom to vote will pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act. We who believe in the freedom to live safe from gun violence will pass an assault weapons ban.”
Of course, hitting such high highs means that Harris has a long way to fall.
Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio argued as much this week, anticipating a temporary polling bump for Harris. Indeed, she has closed the gap with the former president in some polls. But Fabrizio predicted the shine on the vice president won’t last forever.
“The Democrats deposing one Nominee for another does NOT change voters’ discontent over the economy, inflation, crime, the open border, housing costs, not to mention concern over two foreign wars,” he wrote. “Before long, Harris’ ‘honeymoon’ will end and voters will refocus on her role as Biden’s partner and co-pilot.”
