The Kamala Phenomenon Is HERE!

We are witnessing a level of excitement in American politics that we haven’t seen in a long time. When President Biden announced he wasn’t running for re-election, I know I immediately wondered if Kamala would gather support, and how quickly. And oh boy, did she! Quite honestly, the phenomenon we are seeing right now is nearly unprecedented. 

The donations tell one aspect of the story. And the money came rolling in! Big time. In the first 24 hours alone after she was announced as Biden’s pick to take his place as the Democratic nominee for President, she raised a whopping $81 million. This is a record for that time span, EVER. Yes, more than even Obama. This is significant to me because as a woman of color myself, I have always been annoyed by the critics saying that Kamala can’t be THE nominee. That she is talented and smart but can’t bring in the support or donors needed for a large-scale campaign. These numbers squashed those worries and that means a lot! 

Make no mistake, the phenomenon that has arrived is largely because of her being a woman of color. Her Black and Indian heritage is a huge deal and seriously destroys the longstanding myth that those qualities are hindrances to “electability.” She is already energizing the black base in a way that could propel her towards the presidency. The “Win With Black Women” coalition hosted a call after she was seen as the presumptive nominee, and an astounding 40,000+ people joined in!

As someone who has worked in politics and on actual campaigns for years, I know the power of Black women. We are a constant force on democratic campaigns and often make the best volunteers and staffers! Her ability to create this enthusiasm, especially so quickly, can be a turning point in this election. The organizing needed to turn out the vote is key to putting Harris in office. Far too often, we rely on Black voters to carry Democrats across the finish line. But with her on the ballot at the top of the ticket, we could be bringing out a key constituency in higher numbers than we ever could have imagined before.

Lastly, a key aspect of this emerging Kamala phenomenon is her ability to reach out to everyone, not just the diehards. Getting key swing states will mean turning out independents and disaffected GOP members to vote in favor of the Democratic ticket, as opposed to just sitting at home. While way too many people who know better, have still chosen to endorse Trump, not everyone from the other side is on board. Right after Kamala took the mantle from Biden, a Nikki Haley Voters PAC pledged their support to VP Harris’s new presidential bid. This PAC is not directly connected to Haley and Haley herself has endorsed Trump and spoke at the RNC. Embarrassingly. This is just a group of Haley voters who had put their money where their mouth is in their steadfastness against Trump becoming President. This is a big deal and hopefully will show others that they, regardless of party, do NOT have to sit back and watch Trump destroy this country. 

These are all important aspects of what Kamala has accomplished so far. I hope to see her continue this momentum and lead to a Democratic win!