Open Threads

I think it’s really healthy to maintain that underdog mentality, to know that we’re gonna have to earn every vote. There are a lot of people we have to persuade to vote for us; there are a lot of people we have to persuade to vote, period. But the energy and momentum in this campaign—you certainly felt it at the convention—has been extraordinary. The other thing that I think is really notable is that every test that people set up for the V.P., she has gotten through flawlessly. Six weeks is the blink of an eye, but it’s also an eternity in politics. There’s going to be ups and downs; there’s going to be setbacks; it’s a roller coaster. That’s how campaigns are. But again, fundamentally, I’d rather be us for the simple reason that most Americans strongly disagree with Donald Trump’s decision to end right-to-choose and agree with her wanting to protect it. They disagree with Donald Trump’s tax cuts for the rich and prefer her middle-class focus. They want somebody who’s more pro-worker and more pro-union.

… [L]et me ask it this way: Do you think there’s a case to be made that Donald Trump is not mentally fit to be president right now?

I think there’s something to that. I think he’s often confused. He often seems a little out of touch with reality. It’s getting worse, right? We’ve seen it kind of pick up if you compare to what he was like even a few years ago. I don’t think he made the most sense back then, but you definitely see that piling up. And I guess the other thing to think about—not just given his advanced age, but given that he managed to get impeached twice the last time around—is this really raises the stakes on the running mate. So one question I would ask voters is not just, Are you okay with the commander-in-chief and leader of the free world being somebody who seems to have trouble with the grip on reality?, but also, How do you feel about J.D. Vance?…

First of all, the only appropriate response to any political violence is to categorically condemn it. I think that’s what most people on both sides of the aisle have to say about what happened: that we are glad President Trump was unhurt and horrified that there was another attempt like this. I think the difference you see with what J.D. had to say is the difference between people saying, How do we stop this? and someone saying, How do we use this?.

The reality is that the overheated and violent rhetoric coming from the right has had very real real-world consequences, notably the fact that political violence came to the steps of the United States Capitol, leading to police officers being beaten and injured—a riot that led to deaths. And, of course, that’s far from the only example where we have violence being inspired right now by [the right’s] rhetoric. So if you’re really going to say, Let’s do something about the rhetoric in this country, that’s not a liberal or conservative thing, it should be an American thing to say that political violence is unequivocally to be condemned. We say that; common-sense Republicans say that. But Trump and Vance have trouble bringing themselves to say that…

…[T]here’s something really interesting and important going on with J.D. saying, basically, We made up a bunch of crazy stuff because that was the only way to get the people of Springfield the national media attention they needed [in the face of strains on the community due to immigration]. But the people of Springfield, including the mayor and Republican elected officials, are saying, Hey, we did not need the firestorm you just inflicted on us; that’s not doing us any favors; go away. [Vance] is their senator. What you did not hear from him was what a normal senator would say: These are my constituents. They have a problem. Here’s what I’m doing to help. [Vance’s approach has been] How can I use you?, not, How can I help you?…

You’re a Midwest guy: Indiana native, former mayor of South Bend, and now you and Chasten live in Michigan. The clearest path to 270 electoral votes for Harris is to hold the Blue Wall battleground states—Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin—that Biden won in 2020. Some people feel that these are tough states, especially Pennsylvania, for a Black woman to win. In your view, what does Kamala Harris need to do to bring home those states in a part of the country you know so well?

Two things. One is to assemble a political project that people want to be part of. That’s why the “joy” thing isn’t just superficial. It’s the idea that instead of death-match, doom and gloom, fight, grievance, all the stuff you get from Trump and Vance, it’s something more constructive and positive that people just want to attach their names and reputations and votes to. That’s the vibe level. The second is the policy level, to make sure people understand that the reason why the Midwest is seeing factory investments at a pace we haven’t experienced since the Kennedy administration has to do with her being right on policy. And I think that combination is the path to victory…

And you have to connect the dots for folks. You can’t assume just because you deliver economic benefits to a community that they’re going to give you credit for it. And what’s happening right now is, whether you look at it in terms of policy or in terms of feel, there’s a proposition that’s coming together in this campaign—our campaign, her campaign—that I think ultimately resonates more in the Midwest. But the reality of a polarized country is that every campaign right now is a game of inches, and she’s going to be out there working to earn every inch of ground until the bell rings.