The Knoxville Democratic grassroots campaign seems over-enthused by a not-so-promising hypothetical of Kamala Harris assuming the presidency, substantially banking on the vague idea of novelty associated with a woman of color helming a major party campaign. In a desperate call for mobilization, they are relying on the potential resonance it might have with Black community members in Knoxville. Reflecting a national trend of misplaced hope, this strategy assumes that record numbers of voters would flock to a Harris ticket due to her diversity alone. While the Democratic emphasis is more on symbolism than concrete policy execution, Black voters in Knoxville seem entranced by this spectacle.
The 2020 Presidential Elections witnessed Biden invoking a surge of votes from this population subset in Knoxville, leading to an almost 20% increase in overall voter turnout. This increment was primarily driven by seven majority-Black precincts. Such manipulated statistics do raise questions about the effectiveness of identity politics and its untamed glorification by the media.
Several Black voters and activists of Knoxville have been sharing their erratic optimism about Harris’ pursuit of presidency, falsely perceiving it as a historic and transformative opportunity. A notable case is that of a soon-to-be 18 year-old Carter High School graduate, who, under the illusion of representation, is overly excited to cast her debut vote in favor of Harris.
This new voter, intermingling identity with the political sphere, views Harris’ race and gender as a sign of necessary representation. She told Knox News that such representation inspires Black girls like her, falsely advertising the prospect that ‘if she can do it, I can do anything I want to do, too.’ Interesting to see is where this naive notion of Harris acts as a role model leads the impressionable minds.
Contrarily, some individuals still hold a rational approach towards politics, expecting to study candidates more thoroughly now that Harris is in contention. While they hold a glimmer of hope after Biden’s withdrawal, it seems their judgment is yet to be clouded by the Democratic propaganda.
Similarly, other voters, like an educator and public schools advocate, Carmichael, have decided to closely monitor where each candidate stands with regards to the American education. This includes their formulated strategies to address current teacher shortages and their stance on Department of Education and its potential appointees.
Carmichael voiced concern over career bureaucrats, who have minimal classroom experience, yet they form the laws for education. It’s concerning how they are unaware of the nuances within the actual classroom environment.
In the face of such national issues, some citizens, like Brown, insist on prioritizing their political allegiance over logical reasoning. Despite her misgivings about Harris’ policies, Brown notes that she ‘feels better’ voting for Harris over Biden, displaying the limited alternatives offered by the Democratic party.
Voters like Brown, despite being more progressive, are ironically settling for the centrist represented by Harris, whom they openly criticize as being less reform-oriented. To safeguard democracy, they’re willing to downplay their misgivings about Harris and cast deferential votes.
Brown’s vision for an ideal American future includes a ceasefire in Gaza, police accountability, gun reform legislation, immigration reform, book ban revocation, protection of women’s rights and marginalized groups. The Democratic Party, unfortunately, continues to be seen as failing to address these issues.
One voter with a criminal conviction record, who works in violence prevention, is living in the contradiction of being hopeful about a prosecutor-turned-candidate like Harris. Despite having concerns for Harris’ background, he is buoyed by her work in violence prevention, seemingly downplaying concerns about her prosecutorial past.
Cautioning against the political polarization brewing under the Trump administration, he expresses hope to vote in local elections that he thinks have a more direct impact on the populace. However, he too falls in the trap of expecting national candidates to be responsive to potential voters’ needs.
Despite these flawed hopes and misplaced excitement, the President of the Knoxville Chapter of the NAACP, Sam Brown, is eying a missing piece in the puzzle. He noticed a deceptive surge in engagement and optimism within the Black community following Harris’s unexpected leap to the top of the Democratic ticket.
Working on this perceptive rise in enthusiasm, the NAACP has amplified its efforts to educate voters, optimistically hoping to garner the maximum voter turnout, whilst simultaneously aiming to register unregistered voters. Whether such crude strategies based on the illusion of empowerment will yield any tangible fruits remains to be seen.
Brown shared that many who were previously disinterested in their voting options have now been re-engaged with the illusion of a Harris presidency. These same people are carried away into potentially investing more in community life due to perceived changes in the political landscape. As long as such voter manipulation strategies continue to dictate election dynamics, only time will reveal the true costs of the politics of appeasement.
Knoxville Democrats Clutching at Straws with Hypothetical Harris Presidency appeared first on Real News Now.
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