Staff Reports
Vice President Kamala Harris made a beeline for Michigan in a desperate attempt to charm working-class voters while simultaneously ignoring the fact that those very workers seem to have developed a certain fondness for Donald Trump. The vice president’s excursion included a tour of a semiconductor manufacturing plant in Saginaw, where she presumably aimed to demonstrate her administration’s commitment to revitalizing American manufacturing—despite their overall efforts resembling a magician pulling rabbits from hats more than actual policy impact.
Harris rounded out her whirlwind tour by stopping at a union training facility in Macomb before rousing the crowd at a rally in Ann Arbor alongside her campaign buddy, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. This was the duo’s first outing together in weeks, a move that appeared to scream, “We’re still relevant!” However, the reality is that the working-class voters they’re trying to win over were nowhere near as enthusiastic as Harris had hoped.
VP Harris visits Michigan to support 1,300+ new jobs created by CHIPS & IRA investments, which she helped pass! Meanwhile, Trump wants to cut these job-creating programs that benefit American workers and give China an edge. Vote blue this November to keep good jobs here! 💙 pic.twitter.com/6hOSs273ru
— South Carolina Democratic Party (@scdp) October 29, 2024
During her speech at the union facility, Harris slammed Trump as a supposed enemy of labor, claiming he “talked a good game” but did little in his time in office to actually support unions. While her critique may play well in Democrat circles, the rank-and-file union workers in Michigan don’t seem to be buying what she’s selling. An internal poll among Teamsters revealed a striking preference for Trump, with over 61% leaning toward the former president. For a group that historically threw their weight behind Democrats, this stands as a glaring warning sign for the Harris camp.
Harris, the self-proclaimed champion of working individuals, also failed to woo the firefighters, another key labor demographic. The International Association of Firefighters gave her a swift kick to the curb, showcasing how her appeal seems limited to campaign slogans that simply don’t align with the realities these workers face on the ground. With Michigan being a pivotal swing state that went for Trump in 2016 and returned to the Democrats in 2020 by a narrow margin, Harris’s struggles are a cruel reminder of the uphill battle facing her and President Biden.
In Saginaw, she attempted to boast about the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts in boosting manufacturing, highlighting their generous $325 million grant to Hemlock Semiconductors. The promise of creating 1,000 temporary jobs and 180 permanent ones might sound impressive, but the odds of those jobs leading to a seismic shift in workers’ opinions seem as realistic as a three-legged unicorn. Harris’s promise to expand job opportunities for those without college degrees signals a feeble attempt to connect with a demographic that has seen the erosion of stable jobs and increasing inflation under the Biden regime.
While Harris lays claims about a rosy future for manufacturing, reality shows a different picture: one where working-class voters are increasingly disenchanted with Democrat promises and are grabbing onto whatever Trump has to offer. As she continues making her rounds in swing states like Michigan, the question looms large: can she turn the tide among disillusioned voters who feel abandoned? The answer appears to be as elusive as a good hair day for the vice president.
