Kamala Harris: The Joyful Fight
On Monday morning, voters across New England awoke to reports that presidential hopeful Kamala Harris would visit the Portsmouth, New Hampshire area on Wednesday, September 4th. News outlets promised more details to come soon, and online forums were abuzz with questions. Where would the Vice President speak? How does one attend the event? What issues would she address? Why did she add New Hampshire to her busy schedule when, as of Monday, she led her opponent by seven points in the state, according to the latest polls?
Over the next forty-eight hours, all these questions were answered as details were publicized. Harris supporters adjusted their schedules to support their candidate on a hot, sunny Wednesday afternoon.
Vice President Harris was to address Granite State voters to outline her plan to promote small business growth if elected to the Presidency. Her choice of venue reinforced her pro-small business stance. Throwback Brewery in North Hampton, NH is a popular, women-owned establishment that has brewed locally sourced beer since 2011 and opened their renowned kitchen four years later. The brewery closed operations for the day to host the Vice President and the capacity crowd who came to support her joyful campaign.
As attendees filled the brewery grounds, their celebratory spirit permeated the atmosphere. The positive energy which has radiated throughout this campaign is a product of a diverse constituency united by shared hopes and dreams for America’s future. A wide swath of voters representing all age groups, ethnicities and economic backgrounds mingled peacefully as they waited for their candidate to take the stage. A live DJ energized the crowd with classic tunes by Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce and Ray Charles played over an impeccable sound system. Rally goers were also treated to complementary “Kamalanomeneon” lemonade and iced tea. The combination of music, conversations and helpful, friendly campaign staff demonstrated the welcoming and inclusive environment surrounding the Harris campaign. Supporters cultivated a sense of purpose-driven optimism and warmth that has been absent for far too long from the American political zeitgeist.
The first speaker of the afternoon was New Hampshire Democratic Field Organizer Benjamin Costa who praised Harris as “a true champion for working families”. Representative Chris Pappas from New Hampshire’s First congressional district noted that New Hampshire has over one hundred thirty-six thousand small businesses, preparing the audience for the Vice President’s small business plan. “Small business is big business in New Hampshire” he proclaimed as spectators applauded in agreement.
Senator Maggie Hassan followed the Representative in emphasizing the importance of small business and a thriving middle class. She reminded the crowd that Donald Trump’s proposed sales tax on imported goods will cost middle class families an additional four thousand dollars per year. A chorus of boos erupted from the lively crowd of voters. Senator Jeanne Shaheen reminded the crowd of President Obama’s economic accomplishments, stating that “The idea that Trump created a good economy is nothing but malarkey”. The first of many “We’re not going back chants” bubbled up from the crowd after Shaheen’s clarifying statement. The introductory speakers showed their constituents a refreshingly united Democratic Party, focused on kitchen table issues and growing the economy from the middle outward.
At about two thirty, Throwback Brewery founders Nicole Carrier, Carrie Dahlgren and Annette Lee took the stage to introduce the Vice President. Carrier noted that the brewery was able to expand their business and install solar panels thanks to a grant made possible by the Biden/Harris administration’s American Rescue Plan. She explained that this election is the first time that the brewery has made a political statement due to the sharp contrast in the values of the two candidates. “At this point, do we have a choice?” she asked rhetorically. Carrier then elaborated on the values her business shares with the Harris campaign, namely kindness, community building, and sustainability.
Following the heartfelt introduction, Kamala Harris took the stage to rapturous applause reminiscent of a sold-out rock concert. She graciously thanked the brewery, the New Hampshire congressional delegation and the enthusiastic supporters who showed up to support her noble bid for the Presidency.
Harris began her speech on a somber note. She went off script to deliver thoughtful remarks on the tragic shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. Her ability to speak candidly to the American people on difficult topics was evident in her dignified delivery. She expressed compassion for the victims of the attack, highlighted the alarming frequency of gun violence in American schools and called for action on gun control. “It doesn’t have to be this way” Harris reassured the crowd in a tone that acknowledged the gravitas of the gun violence epidemic while instilling hope in parents and students alike.
While discussing the ubiquitousness of active shooter drills in public schools, the Vice President commended a highly coveted voting bloc. “I love Gen Z” she stated with a genuine smile, reflecting on her college tours and the enthusiasm she has witnessed on campuses across the nation. For those of us who went through school without partaking in active shooter drills, this was a sobering reminder of just how widespread gun violence has become in our country.
“We have sixty-two days to go” Harris continued, warning the crowd of voters that the race would be tight until election day. “We are running as the underdog” she reminded her audience, clearly cognizant of the unpredictability of electoral processes over the past decade. “The only thing we can take for granted is the love that we Americans have for each other.” she proclaimed to another round of thundering applause. The tone of the address echoed the inspiring calls for unity and shared vision from Harris’ acceptance speech at last month’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
The focal point of Vice President Harris’s address was the creation of an “opportunity economy”. Harris defined her economic vision as one where “everyone can compete, and everyone has a real chance to succeed”. She emphasized the importance of providing every American the opportunity to build wealth regardless of their current economic standing. Her dedication to ensuring a worker’s right to unionize was greeted with a powerful reaction from the throngs of supporters.
Harris introduced her plan for small businesses with a declaration that “America’s small businesses are an essential foundation of our entire economy.” She reinforced this claim with the fact that small businesses employ half of all American private sector employees and generate trillions of dollars on a yearly basis. The choice of venue and down to earth feel of the rally underscored Harris’ message that small businesses are leaders in the community as well as economic powerhouses.
By the time Harris delved into her small business plan, she had her crowd’s full attention. The first point she explained was her desire to receive twenty-five million new small business applications by the end of her first term. To achieve her goal, she expressed the need to lower the cost of starting a business which averages about forty thousand dollars. Her plan includes a fifty-thousand-dollar tax deduction for budding entrepreneurs as opposed to the current five-thousand-dollar deduction. Another facet of the Vice President’s plan benefits existing small businesses by providing either low interest or interest free loans to those who aspire to expand their business. She followed these points with a smart strategy for facilitating filing taxes as a small business owner, streamlining the process and eliminating a great deal of bureaucracy. Harris used the old 1040-EZ form as a reference for this plan.
The New Hampshire crowd was supportive of Harris’s plan to expand venture capital and innovation hubs to entrepreneurs who may not have access to these resources, partly due to their location. The acknowledgement that rural Americans deserve the same economic opportunities as those in large cities resonated with a Democratic base which is broadening outside urban strongholds. Harris also vowed to increase federal contracts with small businesses.
One of the Democratic Party’s most alluring platforms for working class voters is the implementation of an equitable tax system. “It’s just not right that those who can most afford it are often paying a lower tax rate than our teachers, nurses and firefighters.” Harris stated. A minimum tax for billionaires and ensuring that corporations pay their fair share are cornerstones of Harris’ economic policy and, judging by the crowds’ reaction, are supported wholeheartedly by the electorate. She proposed a tax rate of twenty eight percent on long term capital gains for those making a million dollars a year or more.
While Harris alerted her supporters of Donald Trump’s plan to overturn the Affordable Care act, a familiar chant echoed through a section of the audience. “Lock him up!” rally goers repeated in unison to which the candidate replied, “the courts are gonna handle that, and we’ll handle November”. Harris’s natural charisma has strengthened her bond with voters at each event since she took her place at the top of the ticket.
Introducing her segment on reproductive freedom, Harris reminded voters that “Ours is a fight for the future and it is a fight for freedom”. Since the far-right Supreme Court overturned Roe vs Wade in June 2022, Vice President Harris has led the charge to protect reproductive rights from draconian Republican legislation. She explained that twenty states now have abortion bans directly because of Trump’s appointees, and that restrictions would become even tighter if Trump’s Project 2025 plan came to fruition. “Can you believe they put that thing in writing?” Harris wondered to uproarious laughter. She reminded the crowd that “one does not need to abandon their faith to realize that the government should not be telling a woman what to do with her body.” Countless polls have confirmed that a majority of Americans agree with the Vice President on this issue and that the Republican overreach amounts to a human rights violation. “They don’t trust women, but we trust women” Harris noted, highlighting the difference between her campaign for freedom and opportunity and her opponent’s dictatorial messaging.
Harris concluded her speech with a call to finally pass the John Lewis voting rights act and an excoriation of the Supreme Court’s decision to grant Donald Trump immunity for official acts. “Just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails.” Harris asked before reporting on her opponents’ desire to end the impartiality of the Department of Justice and terminate the U.S. Constitution.
The greatest testament to Harris’ inspiring message was that voters did not leave this rally in a fearful state but were inspired to go out and take action to help her campaign. Her vision of a more compassionate America has clearly united and expanded the Democratic base over the past month and a half.
Kamala Harris reminds voters of those who have supported their own goals and dreams throughout their lives. Her middle-class background shines through in her oratory power, her relatable anecdotes and engaging wit. Harris’ ambitions plan for her administration not only exemplify the most noble aspects of American politics but aim to neutralize the unsavory forces working to cushion the few in power at the expense of hard-working citizens. As the candidate herself affirmed under the late summer sun in North Hampton, “When we say fight, we mean fight for something, not against.”
Words: Christopher Minor
Photography: Michael Kalish