Harris appeals to Black voters/ Kamala Harris policies for Black voters/ Kamala Harris election Black support/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ As Kamala Harris campaigns for the presidency, she is focusing on her policies and qualifications rather than her race or gender, despite being the first Black and South Asian woman vice president. While acknowledging her identity, Harris aims to connect with Black voters by promoting her economic goals and small business support. Harris continues to engage with minority voters, including appearances at key events like the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation dinner.
Harris Focuses on Policies Over Identity: Quick Looks
- Focus on Policy: Kamala Harris is promoting her achievements and future goals, particularly in supporting small businesses and expanding the child tax credit, rather than emphasizing her race or gender.
- Appeal to Voters: Harris has been engaging with Black voters through key events and interviews but highlights her policies as her campaign’s primary focus.
- Voter Sentiment: While her identity as a woman of color is important to many, Harris’ campaign strategy centers on her qualifications and addressing issues like economic equity.
- Trump’s Attacks: Trump has brought race into the conversation by falsely questioning Harris’ identity, but she has responded by avoiding personal commentary and focusing on unity.
Harris Emphasizes Policy Over Identity in Effort to Connect with Black Voters
Deep Look
As Kamala Harris campaigns for the presidency, she is focusing on her policy-driven resume and future goals rather than her racial identity, even though she is the nation’s first Black and South Asian vice president. While acknowledging the historic nature of her candidacy, Harris is prioritizing her achievements and goals for the country, especially in economic matters, as she seeks to connect with Black voters in key battleground states.
This past week, while President Joe Biden was hosting a celebration of Black excellence at the White House, Harris headed to Pennsylvania to meet with voters. She emphasized the importance of small businesses, building affordable housing, and expanding the child tax credit. “The country needs a president who works for all the American people,” she said during her visit, without overtly focusing on her race or gender.
Harris’ strategy marks a departure from the approach of Hillary Clinton in 2016, who made breaking the glass ceiling a central part of her campaign. Harris’ advisers suggest that, with a compressed campaign timeline, it’s more effective to focus on policy rather than identity. “She has been many firsts, but never led with that,” said Brian Brokaw, her 2010 California attorney general campaign manager. Instead, Harris is making her case by highlighting her experience and the concrete steps she will take to support all Americans.
Harris will continue to engage with minority voters at key events, such as the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation dinner in Washington, an interview with the National Association of Black Journalists in Philadelphia, and an online rally hosted by Oprah Winfrey.
Although Harris doesn’t make race the focal point of her campaign, her identity remains significant to many of her supporters. Crystal McLaughlin, a 53-year-old Black woman from North Carolina who attended a Harris rally, said the vice president’s identity is important for representation, even if it’s not the campaign’s main message. “It’s important, not only for Black young girls, but for girls, period,” McLaughlin said. “If you can see it, you can be it.”
Harris’ identity has also become a topic of attack for her political opponents. During a recent presidential debate, Donald Trump falsely claimed that Harris had only recently “turned Black” and questioned her identity. In response, Harris avoided any personal discussion, choosing instead to focus on Trump’s divisive use of race throughout his career. “It’s a tragedy we have someone who wants to be president who has consistently used race to divide the American people,” she said.
Harris’ candidacy has generated increasing enthusiasm among Black voters. In July, a poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research showed that 7 in 10 Black adults were satisfied with Harris as the Democratic nominee, compared to earlier in the year when only half felt the same about Biden. Further, 50% of Black adults said they would feel “excited” if Harris were elected president.
Despite these positive signs, Harris still faces challenges in capturing the full support of younger Black voters. A Pew Research Center poll found that while 9 in 10 Black voters over age 50 support Harris, this drops to three-quarters among Black voters aged 18 to 49. Nonetheless, civil rights organizations have noted growing interest in Harris’ candidacy as they work to mobilize Black voters across the country.
The NAACP, which has been working closely with Black voter groups, has seen rising enthusiasm among Black voters since Harris took over the Democratic ticket. Phaedra Jackson, vice president of unit advocacy at the NAACP, emphasized that while representation matters, “Black voters want policy solutions.”
For voters like 58-year-old John Spencer, policy takes precedence over identity. Spencer, a white geographer from North Carolina, said Harris’ identity is visible to all, but her policies matter more. “A politician should be judged by their positions, not their race or gender,” he said. His focus, like many voters, is on how Harris’ plans will impact the future, especially for his 11-year-old daughter, Leah, who attended a Harris rally with him.
Sheila Carter, a 66-year-old retiree, echoed Spencer’s view, noting that Harris’ identity is “self-explanatory” and does not need to be discussed further. “You see who she is,” Carter said. “Why bother to even address whether or not I’m Black or Indian or whatever? I am who I am.”
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