Staff Reports
There’s no denying that Vice President Kamala Harris’s chances in Michigan are about as strong as a wet paper bag, especially with former President Donald Trump gearing up for a full-frontal attack in the state. The stakes couldn’t be higher for Harris, who is desperately trying to hold on to her grip on a key state that many strategists believe could decide the presidency in 2024.
The road ahead for Harris is littered with obstacles. Trump isn’t just twiddling his thumbs; he’s mobilizing like it’s the last game of the season. The former president’s campaign has turned its focus to “low-propensity voters,” a catchy term for folks who don’t show up for every election. Getting these individuals engaged is a formidable challenge, but Team Trump seems to be relishing the task. With a self-proclaimed “ground game” that Richard Simmons would envy, Republicans are dispatching an army of volunteers to knock on doors and make phone calls across Michigan.
According to state Republicans, they have pinpointed a staggering number of potential voters, ranging from 200,000 to 500,000, who they hope to persuade to pull the lever for Trump. The Michigan Republican Party chair believes this grassroots effort is the most robust the state has seen in decades. If anyone thought Trump was going to sit back and accept defeat after the 2020 election, think again. The volunteers, armed with enthusiasm and a well-rehearsed pitch, aim to contact at least ten of these “low-propensity” voters repeatedly until election day.
Harris’s headache grows even worse with news from the Teamsters Union, which has historically been the bread-and-butter for Democrat campaigns. For the first time in many election cycles, the Teamsters have opted not to support her. Although they aren’t backing Trump either, internal data indicates that many union members prefer the former president. Michigan, a blue-collar stronghold with a substantial number of Teamsters, is slipping away from the Democrats’ grasp. Harris’s polling numbers illustrate that her once-comfortable lead has turned into a nightmare, with the latest polls showing her down nearly 26 points to Trump, who is buzzing like a hornet ready to take flight.
ROOKE: Trump’s Latest Moves In Michigan Could Crush Harris’s Presidential Hopes: 'Harris's dreams of living in the White House are over' https://t.co/lyHRAhb0nD pic.twitter.com/VWY7QMUbxW
— Janie Johnson – America is Exceptional (@jjauthor) September 23, 2024
Adding more intrigue to the saga is the unexpected endorsement for Trump from Ameer Ghalib, the Democratic mayor of Hamtramck, Michigan. His candid admission that he supports Trump because he sees him as a man of principles is the kind of news that sends shivers down the spine of Harris’s campaign. Ghalib’s endorsement, which has gone viral, indicates a disintegration of the Democratic base in the region that should make Harris’s team furrow their brows just a bit more.
With Michigan carrying 15 crucial Electoral College votes, it appears clear that if Trump’s ground campaign hits the mark, Harris’s aspirations for a gubernatorial suite could be dashed. Losing Michigan, on top of her already shaky situation in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, spells disaster for her ambitions in 2024. The question now is whether Harris can put a plan together in a state that is slipping through her fingers faster than a greased pig at a county fair. The game is on, and Trump seems more than ready to play hardball.
