In front of a staircase symbol of resistance, Kamala Harris closed her campaign this Monday with a call for the unity of the country, the promise of the search for “common ground” and a message of optimism.
Harris spoke in front of the so-called “Rocky Steps” at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, famous because fictional boxer Rocky Balboa trains there. The place is one of the symbols of the city and the unexpected triumph after hard work. “It’s a tribute to those who start behind and win,” the Democratic candidate said. In the background, a banner with the message “A president for all» (“a president for all”).
“I promise you that I will seek common ground, I promise that I will listen to those who are affected by the decisions I make, I promise that I will listen to the experts, I promise that I will listen to the people who are not disagree with me, because I don’t believe that people who disagree with me are my enemies,” he said.
In a speech in which she avoided mentioning her rival, Harris focused on “the opportunity to turn the page on a decade of hatred and division.” “We end as we began with optimism, with energy, with joy, knowing that people have the power to design our future and that we can overcome all challenges together,” he said. “We are the promise of America…We are all in this together. »
In an atmosphere of tension and euphoria on the eve of election day, rapper will.i.am, singer and songwriter of the Black Eyed Peas, sang a new song dedicated to Harris: “Yes, she can» (“yes, she can”). The crowd of tens of thousands of people then chanted “Yes, she can”, which is reminiscent of Barack Obama’s campaign slogan during the 2008 presidential election.
Despite a trend in favor of Harris in the final days of the campaign, polls now show a very close race with leads within the usual polling margins of error. Pennsylvania is the state considered particularly important due to its division and the weight it has in terms of votes in the Electoral College, the sum of which must reach 270 to win the White House. For Harris, this is particularly important: no Democratic candidate has reached the White House without winning this state since Harry Truman in 1948.
Kamala knocks on your door
The vice president spent the day touring Pennsylvania, with stops that included knocking on get-out-the-vote doors and a meal at Old San Juan Café, a Puerto Rican restaurant in Reading. “I’m very hungry. I don’t get to eat as often as I would like,” Harris said.
Nearly half a million Puerto Ricans live in Pennsylvania, a key population in a state that was decided by 81,000 votes in favor of Biden in the 2020 presidential election.
More than 60% of Hispanic voters in Pennsylvania support Harris, according to a Univision poll, and a comedian’s comment at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally that Puerto Rico is “a garbage island” has been a topic mobilization.
Harris arrived around midnight in Philadelphia, where thousands of people had been waiting for hours on a cold fall night featuring Ricky Martin and Lady Gaga and connections to speeches and music at rallies in six other key states. The mood oscillated between excitement and nervousness over a close election in a battle in two opposing directions in style and substance.
what you see
“There is a lot at stake in these elections. I am particularly concerned about my reproductive freedoms, climate change, responsible gun ownership, tax cuts for billionaires… It will help the middle class,” says Maya Fuentes, a young engineer specializing in protection data. “It’s also important for me, as a woman of color, to potentially support the first president who is also a woman of color. You can’t be what you can’t see. And she reminds me and everyone that we can be up there like her.
Fuentes explains that her father is Puerto Rican and that for her the contrast between Harris’ plans for Puerto Rico and “Madison Square Garden” is also important (“there is no need to explain it anymore”, comments – She). She says her father is not “as passionate” as she is about the issues and that she has had “uncomfortable conversations” with some family members and friends who don’t share her views. “Of course, this caused some arguments. But at the same time, there were people who didn’t vote and I convinced one or two of them. This is important because every vote counts.
She says she has never been more involved in an election than this year, although she has also previously participated in phone sessions and door-to-door outreach to encourage participation. Fuentes describes herself as “anxious” but hopeful.
Nerves and optimism
The nervous atmosphere is repeated among the followers, the most active minority who endured hours of waiting.
“I’m a little scared, but now seeing so many people around me makes me feel good,” said Violet Perloff, a 19-year-old student voting for the first time in this election from Philadelphia.
The rights of women and migrants are repeatedly among the issues that most motivate those waiting for Harris this evening. Emotion also for elections that seem different. There is nervousness, some appeal to divine intervention and also optimism.
“We are the city where democracy began and where democracy will vote,” says Tal Tigay, an Israeli-American developer and designer who brought her 12-year-old daughter, Nina, and an equally young classmate, Ella, from Central City, a small town outside of Philadelphia. “This is going to be a big moment for us,” she said, pointing to the two girls. “I feel good, I believe the women of this country will achieve this and lead the way.”
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