Can Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz peel off some voters in rural America? The chances aren’t favorable, but they appear to be trying anyway.
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Harris and her running mate are trying out a strategy that targets rural voters, specifically in battleground states. The playbook seems clear: Get out of the trafficky, smoggy cities and venture into the green countryside to make their case to folks who may not have seen a Democrat in ages.
The question is: Will trading concrete and skyscrapers for grass and trees help the vice president win enough support?
Walz, a midwestern native with a background as a football coach and hunter, seems to be using his roots to win over rural voters, donning the “EveryDad” persona complete with flannels and pheasant hunts, according to NBC News. His image is intended to appeal to “white working-class and rural voters, the kind of electorate the ticket of Vice President Kamala Harris and Walz is trying to attract in anticipation of fights to the finish in battleground states,” the report noted.
The campaign is making a concerted effort to highlight Harris’ working-class roots, hoping they will resonate with this demographic. She has often been painted as a coastal elite – because that’s what she is – but is putting forth a narrative as the daughter of immigrants who (she claims) worked at McDonald’s before rising through the ranks to become vice president. Team Harris believes they could have an opportunity with “white moderate and blue-collar voters—among whom Harris may have softer appeal.”
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To implement this strategy, the campaign is leaning on Obama-era strategists, including David Plouffe and Stephanie Cutter. The team is driving messaging focusing on traditional, patriotic themes that are typically associated with Republican politicians. Walz’s football team even made an appearance at the Democratic National Convention and drove “patriotic chants of ‘USA!’”
Given how close the upcoming election is likely to be, it makes sense that Democrats might want to try expanding their horizons a bit. However, this plan is not likely to work for Harris for several reasons.
Let’s start with the obvious.
Rural America has been “MAGA Country” for quite a while now. Even before former President Donald Trump came onto the scene, Republicans have had a tight grip on these areas, which are typically neglected by Democrats.
Folks living in these areas tend to share a common sentiment: Leave us the hell alone. Unfortunately for Harris, this is the very last thing her party wants to do. Even though Harris has yet to lay out a policy platform, her positions are not hard to suss out, especially with Team Trump hammering on the far-leftist policies she has supported in the past.
Moreover, it is also worth noting that Walz’s performance as governor has been anything but conservative despite the fact that he likes to wear flannels and hunt pheasants. His dishonesty about his military record is sure to turn off voters in these areas as well. Also, it will be hard to win over hunters when you favor policies aimed at violating Second Amendment rights. You can’t be a “Fudd” and expect to win rural gun owners.
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Lastly, the kitchen table issues are front and center in this election despite Democrats’ efforts to distract from them. As the saying goes, “It’s the economy, stupid.” Folks in rural America are struggling to keep food on the table, just as people living in the city and suburbs. The Biden administration has failed to address the problem, an issue that is sure to keep rural America in Trump’s camp.
One thing is for certain: It will take a lot more than wearing flannel and chanting “USA” for Harris to make inroads in rural America. Unfortunately for her, she and her running mate have little more than symbolism to campaign on.