Harris seeks to recapture Obama-era energy as he rallies for her in Pennsylvania
Barack Obama is hosting a rally for Kamala Harris as the vice president tries to recreate the energy and coalition that led him to win the White House.
SCRANTON, Pa. — Sixteen years ago, Barack Obama made history by becoming the first Black president. Now Vice President Kamala Harris is enlisting him in her quest to make history and become the first female and first Indian American president.
Obama is set to host a rally Thursday in Pittsburgh, a crucial part of this battleground state that he carried twice and may decide whether Harris or Donald Trump wins the presidency.
Obama and Harris aides see a connection between what fueled his victories and the vice president's theory of how to win: supercharge base turnout, max out with Black voters and “lose by less” in the vast rural areas where the margins can be make-or-break.
“They both effectively seized the mantle of change, not just through messaging but through an authentically fresh energy and mentality. That resonates with people in a personal way,” said Jesse Lee, a political consultant who worked in the Obama and Biden White Houses. “Just like Obama, the more she stays authentic and makes it joyous to be on her side — both in the campaign and as president — the more successful she’ll be.”
Lee said Obama and Harris both have middle-class roots and faced wealthy Republicans — Obama defeated Mitt Romney by winning the battle of who voters believed cared more about regular people like them, which he said Harris is on her way to replicating.
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