U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris visited Pennsylvania, the key battleground state, on the 27th (local time) to secure the so-called 'base' votes, including Black voters, while urging Generation Z to vote.
Vice President Harris attended a service at a Black church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, saying, "The remaining 9 days until the presidential election will test us," and "All of us here in Pennsylvania right now have the opportunity to bring about change."
She said, "At this very moment, we face the real question," asking, "What kind of country do we want to live in? A country of chaos, fear, and hatred? Or a country of freedom, justice, and compassion?" She then urged support, saying, "The best thing about living in a democracy is that our people have the choice to answer that question."
On the same day, Vice President Harris visited a Puerto Rican restaurant in North Philadelphia, a Black-owned bookstore and barbershop in West Philadelphia, spending time talking with Black and Latino voters. At the barbershop, she even sat in the so-called 'lucky chair,' where every candidate who has run for office so far has won.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) noted, "Harris is making efforts to win votes from Black and Latino communities." Amid analyses that support for Vice President Harris is weakening, especially among Black male voters traditionally classified as Democratic supporters, she is securing the base votes.
Pennsylvania, which Vice President Harris visited that day, is considered the most critical battleground state with the largest number of electoral votes. According to Nate Silver, a star statistician known as a 'political oracle' in U.S. elections, the candidate who wins Pennsylvania in this year's presidential election has over a 90% chance of becoming president. It was also the state that delivered victory to former President Donald Trump in the 2016 election, despite him having fewer nationwide votes than his opponent, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. In the 2020 election, President Joe Biden defeated former President Trump by about 80,000 votes in Pennsylvania to enter the White House.
Vice President Harris also emphasized Pennsylvania's importance during a meeting with reporters, saying, "Philadelphia, the largest city in Pennsylvania, plays a very important role on our path to victory, and that's why I am spending time here." She stressed, "The momentum is with us," and "Pennsylvania will undoubtedly be the key to victory."
Regarding the polling results showing a razor-thin race within the margin of error, she said, "Honestly, my internal polls are intuition. I leave the rest to the campaign team," indicating she is not overly concerned. In the ABC/Ipsos national poll released that day, Vice President Harris's support stood at 49%, while former President Trump had 47%. Among respondents who expressed an intention to vote, the gap widened slightly, with Harris at 51% and Trump at 47%.
At the final event in Pennsylvania on the same day, she raised her voice toward Generation Z. Vice President Harris said, "You are more than qualified to demand change," emphasizing, "You absolutely deserve it." She added, "Having grown up amid the climate crisis, you are the leaders who must do what is necessary to protect our planet," and "You, who grew up with lockdown drills for mass shootings and currently have fewer rights than your mothers and grandmothers, understand how important it is for women to maintain reproductive rights and prevent the government from dictating what they should do."
By highlighting key issues such as abortion rights, a major topic in this year's election, she asserted herself as the next-generation leader to guide America. Vice President Harris has stated that her first priority after taking office is to enact federal legislation restoring abortion rights to the level before the overturning of the Roe v. Wade decision. She urged support again, saying, "So much is at stake," and "We must not wake up the day after the election regretting what we could have done."
Meanwhile, Vice President Harris is scheduled to deliver a 'final argument' speech on the 29th at Ellipse Park in Washington D.C., with the White House as the backdrop. Ellipse Park is where former President Trump gave a speech inciting refusal to accept the previous election defeat, which is considered a symbolic site that triggered the January 6 Capitol riot. Regarding this, Vice President Harris said in a CBS News interview that the reason for choosing the White House front as the venue is, "I believe it is very important for Americans to see and think about who will occupy that space (the White House) on January 20 (the inauguration day of the next president)."
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