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Heartlanders were a bit shocked by the poise, pearls, and various American dialects displayed by Kamala Harris during her debate with Donald Trump. But the “real” Kamala was back this week, winging it without teleprompters and hand holders.
Middle-Class America Loves a Nice Lawn
As surrogates for Harris-Walz ran a blitzkrieg through the swing states, Kamala was in Pennsylvania, stopping in coffee shops and small venues in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, seeking to sway Joe Biden's old neighbors. One wonders if the Secret Service were on the lookout for old Corn Pop lest he rise from the dead and become a tangible threat.
Unfazed and seemingly more confident, Harris sat down with Brian Taff from the ABC news affiliate in Philadelphia for an 11-minute interview. "What accent did she use," asked Michael Wayne Roberts in Winona, TX.
Starting on her big money giveaway plans, Harris began: "When I talk about building an opportunity economy, it is very much in mind with investing in the ambitions and aspirations of the incredible American people and creating opportunity for people, for example, starting a small business."
Taff pressed for details, wanting to know just how it all would work. "And this is what happens without a script, answer cards, or a teleprompter," observed Bernard Tamasy of Dallas. Welcome back, Vice President Kamala, with a truly weird deflection: "Well, I'll start with this. I grew up a middle-class kid," Harris responded. "My mother raised my sister and me. She worked very hard. She was able to finally save up enough money to buy our first house when I was a teenager."
"Her mother was a Doctor, her Father was a Professor of Economics, that is hardly middle class, and they lived in a very upscale neighborhood in Canada. She will say anything to get what she thinks the middle class wants to hear. She is not from a working-class majority family," fumed Barbara Hoekztra in Grand Rapids, MI.
But when everyone knew the Real Kamala was in the house was when she added: "You know, I grew up in a neighborhood of folks who were very proud of their lawn," she continued. "And I was raised to believe and to know that all people deserve dignity, and that we as Americans have a beautiful character." And lawns.
Shirley Smith, who planted her flag in Dallas, GA, quipped: "My proud lawn may be used as a garden if grocery prices continue to rise." James Mayfield in The Boondocks reminded us, "A good lawn is also important for national security." And Deb Groleau in Williamsport, IN, said, "I can't afford to fix my mower or put gas in it when it runs."
Livestreams are the curse and the cure for the political crowd. Where else can you say something horrible, fall up the stairs, or belly laugh inappropriately and be called on the carpet almost immediately in front of the public across social media? The electorate hears the unscripted, unedited truth and will cheer or cringe with the candidate. Millions witnessed when an assassination attempt was aired live. To the dismay of fans, Kamala Harris explained the difference between Ukraine and Russia.
In an age where the electorate demands access and accountability, it’s a tough sell to keep the candidates hidden behind closed doors. But when exposure breeds little more than confused head-scratching, what choice does the campaign have?
