This is an election cycle that is unique in many ways, but what has been made clear is that the American people want change. We are exhausted from eight long years of hate, fear mongering, othering, and divisiveness. Kamala Harris has positioned herself, uniquely, as the agent for change in this election. She has positioned herself as the candidate who can provide what we all so desperately need, hope. That simple message, hope, has the power to be the rallying cry that carries our party to victory in November and beyond.
Evidence of this desire for change is seen in the successful shift in messaging from the Harris-Walz campaign. Portraying the Republican ticket as simply “weird”, is a decided, and welcome, shift from the doomsday projections of previous elections. More pertinent however, is the populist tone that the Harris-Walz campaign has embraced. It is a very simple, and effective, message to say, “we care more deeply about the issues affecting voters than our opponents do”, and not only do they care, they have a plan. This strategy fully bloomed at the Democratic National Convention, and was reinforced, with exceptional vigor, during the debate. Perhaps there was no better illustration of this point than Donald Trump’s humorous admission that, after nine years and countless promises, he only has “concepts of a plan” to replace the Affordable Care Act. Vice President Harris will, of course, continue to strengthen and improve the ACA, ensuring we don’t return to the days of denials for pre-existing conditions. It doesn’t take a dramatic leap of faith to believe that Kamala Harris cares more about you, and will work harder for you, the voter, than Donald Trump would.
The message of hope continued as the Harris-Walz campaign began to roll out the policies that will be the focus of their administration. Unsurprisingly, those policies are focused on making life better, and more accessible for all of us. A $25,000 tax credit for first time home buyers doesn’t sound like a particularly partisan idea, especially at a time when post-pandemic home values and interest rates, have affected the outlook of many potential buyers. Nor, does the proposed Child Tax Credit seem like a red-blue issue, as it’s a struggle to think of any parents who wouldn’t welcome that assistance. Even a more vaguely defined concept, like rent controls, would certainly play in Horry County, where average rents are higher than in the city where the Declaration of Independence was signed, Philadelphia. Likewise, $50,000 in tax reductions to small business startups would stimulate an economic infrastructure in Horry County that simply isn’t keeping up with our growing population.
Abortion stands as the issue where the hope-divide is most significant. We know too well how Republicans have severely restricted access here in South Carolina and in many other states. What is more hopeless than being a doctor, who is restricted by law, from providing life-saving care to a mother suffering complications from a miscarriage? More acutely, how hopeless must a mother feel in that situation? Kamala Harris has promised to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade, and enshrine them in law, restoring hope to women who are simply asking for the autonomy to make decisions about their own bodies.
The politics of grievance are old and stale. The lack of a functional congress has severely impeded progress, with no better example than the bipartisan border bill. A bill that was, in a clear case of dereliction of duty, tanked to boost Trump’s electoral chances. The Republican party, now that it has disavowed all knowledge of Project 2025, offers no platform, instead of a horrible one. What they offer is an angry and fearful view of this country, which is a convenient way of creating the grievances that they need to campaign on.They have no plan, and no real interest in governing, because that doesn’t generate soundbites, clicks, and likes. They care, first and foremost, about themselves. Their pandering and profiteering benefits none of us.
The fact is that despite what Donald Trump and his sycophants in congress may have you believe, this country is not a broken one, that they alone can fix. We are still a remarkable, vibrant, and beautiful country, with far more holding us together than driving us apart. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz understand this basic fact, and embrace it, and it’s why their message resonates so strongly with voters. We are all tired of looking back, tired of the vitriol, and we are ready to be free of the doom and gloom. The Harris-Walz campaign is promising a brighter future, and reinvigorating the joy and optimism we felt in 2008. So, we must do our part to ensure that future comes to pass. We each have to do a little extra, whether that is talking to your neighbors, assisting with voter registration, volunteering at a phone bank or as a poll worker, or even simply putting up a yard sign, we can make a difference [by getting involved]. We can also be the agents of change who make hope a reality.
