Kamala Harris recently had an opportunity to rally the working class in deep red Pennsylvania during a visit to Johnstown. However, instead of choosing a public event that would have allowed a wide range of voters access, she held two invite-only events at the airport and a local bookstore. This decision left many people feeling frustrated and disheartened by the vice president’s apparent unwillingness to engage with the very group of individuals who could significantly impact her chances of securing Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes.
Johnstown was once a stronghold for union Democrats, but after a devastating flood in 1977 destroyed its mines and mills, high-paying union jobs disappeared, leading to the city gradually turning red. In the last election, President Trump won the surrounding county with over 67% of the vote. With Pennsylvania being a crucial state for victory this November, it seems that Harris’s decision to keep her events exclusive was not only disappointing but also politically shortsighted.
Some local residents expressed frustration at the vice president’s lack of engagement with the working class in Johnstown. Obama-Trump voter Ed Luce felt that “she needs to convince a lot of the working poor people.” He mentioned that he hadn’t been persuaded by Harris’s performance during Tuesday’s debate and expressed concern about her policies, particularly related to raising wages and healthcare improvements. Luce, like many others in the area, is still undecided on who he will vote for come November.
The vice president could have taken a leaf out of President Trump’s book by holding an open rally at the Cambria County War Memorial, similar to the one Trump attended just last month. Thousands gathered outside and inside the venue, demonstrating a clear appetite for political engagement from both sides of the aisle. Instead, Harris opted for invite-only events that left many people feeling ignored or insulted by her campaign’s apparent focus on courting wealthy donors rather than engaging with potential voters.
In contrast to Trump’s successful rally in Johnstown on September 4th, where over 6,000 people attended and thousands more watched him speak via a jumbotron outside the venue, Harris’s visit was much less impactful. Local residents expressed disappointment at not being able to attend her events or even catch a glimpse of her as she arrived at the airport. Some even felt insulted by what they perceived as an elitist attitude from the vice president and her campaign team.
Ultimately, it seems that Kamala Harris missed an opportunity to connect with working-class voters in Johnstown, Pennsylvania – a group that could significantly impact the outcome of this year’s election. By holding only invite-only events and failing to make herself accessible to a wider range of potential supporters, she may have inadvertently alienated some of the very people whose votes she will need to secure victory in November.
