This piece in Axios suggests that the Harris campaign sees some opportunities beyond the big upper midwest as their route to victory. Whether that’s real or just a feint, it’s probably a good sign that they’re able to spend money and deploy resources even if it’s just to force the Republicans to do the same:
Georgia, Arizona and North Carolina — which had looked to be trending toward former President Trump — are suddenly crackling battlegrounds online, on the airwaves and on the ground.
Pennsylvania is still the most important state where both campaigns are going all-in. But the Harris campaign is fielding an army of enthused volunteers and piles of cash as it eyes a broader field of play.In the past two weeks, the Harris campaign has added 370,000 new volunteers — including 15,500 in Georgia, 21,000 in Arizona, and 10,500 in North Carolina — three states with diverse or changing electorate.
In Georgia, 100,000 votes are up for grabs, former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (R) told Axios in an interview. “Kamala Harris puts all of those votes back in play,” Duncan said. “The Number 1 excuse that I heard [about Biden] was: ‘My gosh, he’s just so old. I just can’t imagine him governing for four years.’ She takes that risk of physical and mental failure off the table.”
In Arizona, the campaign has trotted out border mayors who have endorsed Harris. And Republican Mayor John Giles of Mesa has also endorsed her.In North Carolina, which has voted for a Democratic president just twice in the past 50 years, Harris has an uphill battle.But her momentum has forced the Trump campaign to spend on ads in North Carolina for the first time.
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Vice President Harris and her soon-to-be-announced running mate will launch a five-day, seven-city tour of battleground states, starting in Philadelphia. From there, the new ticket heads to Eau Claire, Wis.; Detroit; Durham, N.C.; Savannah, Ga.; Phoenix; and Las Vegas.
A campaign preview says that besides rallies at venues ranging from arenas to college campuses, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the pair will meet with voters in smaller settings, including union halls, family-owned restaurants and campaign field offices. They’ll be joined by union members, faith leaders, local officials and more.
I’m fairly sure they’re going all out in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania because they assure the 270. They won’t take their eyes off that ball like they did in 2016. But if Harris can open up one or two of these other states it gives them some breathing room especially if there ends up being trouble with some of the white mid-western suburbs.
All those volunteers and all that money makes a big difference here. Let’s hope it keeps coming.