Making the most of the moment.

July 27, 2024

The wave of enthusiasm unleashed by Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign is showing no signs of abating. To the contrary, it is picking up momentum in a way that seems to defy the laws of politics and physics. Meanwhile, Republicans have been caught flat-footed after a lackluster convention and the selection of a disastrous vice-presidential nominee. We should make the most of the moment.

Kamala Harris is making the most of the moment in a way that has surprised Republicans, the media, political pundits, and some Democrats. In less than a week, she has demonstrated that she is a savvy, tough, joyful candidate connecting with Democrats and knocking Republicans off balance. More importantly, she is inspiring new generations of voters and reviving the hopes of the Democratic faithful who were anxious and stressed just one week ago.

We should ignore the polls, but the trends in the polls align—in a good way for Democrats. Kamala Harris’s candidacy has made a competitive race more competitive in four days. If those trends continue, Democrats have good reason to be hopeful (but can take nothing for granted).

The selection of a vice-presidential nominee and the Democratic convention should further boost Democratic gains in swing states--and some states previously believed to be solidly red.

But the most important development is the outpouring of activism and engagement by hundreds of thousands of volunteers. It was clear that something was different when 44,000 participants joined a call sponsored by WinWithBlackWomen on Sunday evening, only hours after Joe Biden announced that he was withdrawing and endorsing Kamala Harris. The group raised $1.5 million in four hours.

Following the lead of Black women, other groups have organized similar Zoom calls:

On Thursday, an event encouraging white women to support Kamala Harris hosted 160,000 on a Zoom conference and raised $8.5 million.

A Women for Harris National Organizing Call by the DNC garnered such an overwhelming response it has been moved back several days to Monday, July 29 at 7:00 pm Eastern. Sign up here: National Organizing Call.

And men are finally getting into the act, with a White Dudes for Harris Call set for Monday, July 29 a 8:00 pm Eastern. White Dudes for Harris Call.

Democrats emerged from a period of indecision and internal disagreement stronger and more unified than ever. Ironically, Trump is reportedly mulling the prospect of replacing JD Vance. See Newsweek, Can Donald Trump Switch Out JD Vance? Speculation Swirls.

Even if the rumors of dumping JD Vance prove to be baseless, they are a sign of how badly Trump stumbled in picking a candidate who instantly attached the labels “weird” and “creepy” to the GOP ticket. Remember, it was just a week ago when rumors of replacing the presumptive nominee were roiling the Democratic Party.

Here's the point: In less than a week, Kamala Harris’s candidacy and presumptive nominee status have united and invigorated Democrats. That is a credit to Harris. Period. But anxious and stressed Democrats have invested in Kamala Harris their hopes of stopping the MAGA extremist agenda.

The overlap of a dynamic younger woman candidate and the pre-existing Democratic determination to defend democracy has given Democrats an advantage they did not have a week ago. We must press that advantage to the fullest.

We should never underestimate the GOP's willingness to engage in corrupt and illegal tactics to win. That is why defeating Trump by a substantial margin is as important as winning. By running up the score, we reduce the risk that a single county in a single state can determine the outcome of the election—a situation ripe for corruption. If Kamala wins by 100 electoral votes spread over a dozen states, challenging that outcome is nearly impossible.

So, let’s capture the enthusiasm of this moment and hang onto it for as long as possible. Even better, spread it to others. The most important action we can take is to bring disaffected and previously unmotivated voters back to (or into) the political process in 2024. Individual efforts to “win back” reluctant family members, sons and daughters, nieces and nephews, and grandkids are as important as mass organizing efforts. In an election that will likely see 160 million votes, some states may be decided by thin margins. Every vote counts—now more than ever!

Concluding Thoughts

A lot is going on in the background. But we have experienced an incredible week unlike any other in American political history. I will stop here and recommend that everyone take a few hours to breathe, relax, and be thankful for the sudden turn of events that has brought us to this moment of renewed hope and enthusiasm.

We should all report back for duty on Monday, recharged and refreshed, powered by a renewed sense of confidence and purpose!

Talk to you on Monday!

++++++++++++++

Postscript.

The photo below shows the Ring Nebula (Messier 57). It is 1,400 light years from Earth. The photo was taken in Los Angeles on 7/24/24 with a 60-minute exposure.

Messier 67 is classified as a “planetary nebula” because of its round shape, but it is a star that is shedding its outer layers. The process shown in this photo is essential to creating life—including you!

When the universe cooled after the Big Bang, there were only three elements: hydrogen (75%), helium (25%), and trace elements of lithium. But humans (and the planet they occupy) are made of carbon and dozens of other elements other than hydrogen and helium.

Question: Where did those other elements come from?

Answer: All the elements that make carbon-based life possible were created by nuclear fusion within stars.

Question: How did those elements escape the stars to form the basis for life on Earth?

Answer: As stars exhaust their fuel, they explode into supernovae or shed their outer shells into space (as shown in the photo of the Ring Nebula). The ejected material coalesces into clouds of dust that eventually give birth to planets. Life then twitches into being, using the elemental building blocks created and later ejected by dying stars.

You are stardust. How lucky is that?