Dispatches From a Kamala Harris Field Office
10Digest
This podcast delves into Kamala Harris's campaign strategy for the 2024 presidential election, focusing on her efforts to win over voters in Wisconsin, a key swing state. The podcast highlights the challenges Harris faces in winning over skeptical voters in rural areas, particularly those who are part of the white working class. The podcast follows Jessica Chung and Stella Tan as they travel to Dunn County, Wisconsin, a largely white working-class community, to observe the Harris campaign's door-to-door outreach efforts. The podcast captures conversations with voters who express a range of opinions about Harris and the election, revealing their concerns about the political system, their lack of knowledge about Harris, and their desire for a candidate who can bring people together. The podcast also reports on Vice President Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walls's visit to O'Clair, Wisconsin, where Walls emphasizes his Midwestern roots and his commitment to working for the common good. Finally, the podcast provides a brief update on the anti-immigrant riots in Britain, fueled by far-right groups.
Outlines
Introduction and Campaign Strategy
The podcast introduces Kamala Harris's campaign strategy for the 2024 presidential election, focusing on her efforts to win over voters in Wisconsin, a key swing state. The podcast highlights the challenges Harris faces in winning over skeptical voters in rural areas, particularly those who are part of the white working class.
Harris's Path to Victory: Mobilizing Voters and Addressing Concerns
The podcast discusses Kamala Harris's campaign strategy and how she aims to win over voters in November. It compares her approach to Joe Biden's 2020 campaign and highlights the importance of mobilizing young voters and people of color.
The Challenge in Wisconsin: Reaching Skeptical Voters
The podcast focuses on Wisconsin, a swing state where Harris faces a significant challenge in winning over skeptical voters, particularly in rural areas.
Door-to-Door Outreach in Dunn County: Engaging with Voters
The podcast follows Jessica Chung and Stella Tan as they travel to Dunn County, Wisconsin, a largely white working-class community, to observe the Harris campaign's door-to-door outreach efforts.
Voter Sentiment and Challenges: Conversations in Dunn County
The podcast continues the story of the door-knocking campaign in Dunn County, highlighting conversations with voters who express a range of opinions about Harris and the election.
Harris and Walls in O'Clair: Emphasizing Midwestern Roots
The podcast reports on Vice President Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walls's visit to O'Clair, Wisconsin, where Walls emphasizes his Midwestern roots and his commitment to working for the common good.
Keywords
Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris is the current Vice President of the United States and the Democratic nominee for President in the 2024 election. She is a former Senator from California and a former Attorney General of California.
Dunn County, Wisconsin
Dunn County is a county in western Wisconsin, known for its largely white working-class population and its conservative political leanings.
Swing State
A swing state is a state in the United States that is considered to be politically competitive, meaning that it could vote for either the Democratic or Republican candidate in a presidential election.
Door-to-Door Campaigning
Door-to-door campaigning is a traditional political campaign strategy that involves candidates or their representatives visiting voters at their homes to discuss their platforms and solicit support.
Voter Turnout
Voter turnout refers to the percentage of eligible voters who actually cast a ballot in an election. It is a key factor in determining the outcome of elections.
White Working Class
The white working class is a social and economic group that consists of white Americans who work in blue-collar jobs, often in manufacturing or construction.
Rural Voters
Rural voters are voters who live in rural areas, often in small towns or agricultural communities. They are often considered to be a key demographic in presidential elections.
Joe Biden
Joe Biden is the current President of the United States and the Democratic nominee for President in the 2020 election. He is a former Vice President under President Barack Obama.
Q&A
What are the key elements of the coalition that Joe Biden assembled in 2020 to win the presidency?
Biden won by driving up turnout in big cities, particularly among people of color and young voters, doing better than Hillary Clinton with college-educated voters in the suburbs, and limiting his losses among white working-class and rural voters.
How does Kamala Harris's campaign strategy differ from Joe Biden's in terms of appealing to voters in rural areas?
Harris faces a challenge in winning over white working-class and rural voters, who may not be as receptive to her as they were to Biden. Her campaign is focusing on minimizing losses in these areas, rather than trying to win them by a large margin.
What are the key voting groups that the Harris campaign is targeting in Dunn County, Wisconsin?
The campaign is focusing on young voters and female voters, particularly those who may be persuadable and could make a difference in the election.
What are the main concerns of voters in Dunn County about the upcoming election?
Voters express frustration with the political system, a lack of knowledge about Harris, and a desire for a candidate who can bring people together and address their concerns about the economy, education, and crime.
What are the biggest challenges for Kamala Harris in winning over voters in Dunn County?
Voters need to know her track record, her vision for the United States, and how she plans to address their specific concerns. They also need to learn more about her as a candidate.
Show Notes
Vice President Kamala Harris’s ascent to the top of the Democratic ticket has transformed the U.S. presidential race. But the real test awaits: Will the party be able to translate that energy into a winning coalition of voters in November?
Reid J. Epstein, who covers politics for The Times, discusses a group of skeptical voters in swing states who may post the biggest challenge to the vice president. Our audio producers — Jessica Cheung and Stella Tan — traveled to Wisconsin to speak to some of them.
Guest: Reid J. Epstein, a reporter covering politics for The New York Times.
Background reading:
- How Ms. Harris’s running mate, Tim Walz, transformed from a little-known governor of a blue state to one of his party’s most prominent and powerful messengers.
- Democrats are buzzing but sustaining the impetus is the next challenge.
For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
Table of contents
United States
