The Long Run: A Giant Weight Lifted, Part Two
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Susan Stone brought a symbolic stuffed cat to last week’s Kamala Harris rally. [/caption]
Election news and commentary by Charlie Bermant
Jefferson County Democrats last week held an impromptu rally in honor of Kamala Harris, the recently anointed presidential candidate. The July 30 rally occurred along Sims Way in front of the now-closed visitor center, with the attendant count jumping from zero to 60 attendees in 20 minutes.
“With Kamala the energy just exploded.” said former Jefferson County Commissioner John Austin. “It went from a kind of a moribund, sad overall ambiance to real excitement.” Said 24th District Democratic Party Chairman Bruce Cowan “In ten days we went from discouraged to enthusiastic and hopeful.”
Passing motorists honked enthusiastically, with few discouraging words. Someone yelled “Trump!” with a preceding word, which caused some confusion. One person heard “Go Trump” while another thought it was “Dump Trump.” I was certain that it was something stronger.
Jefferson County sits inside a Blue bubble, so it is easy to forget that the rest of the country doesn’t share the euphoria. While Democrats feel that Republicans are misinformed they need to keep in mind that half the country uses the same word to describe them.
“Prior to Biden stepping down, we had people who came into the headquarters to say, he's too old,” said former Jefferson Country Democratic Party Vice Chair Alise Moss Vetica. “They said we're not going to win against Trump. But now that is not the case. It's full of hope. And people are saying, ‘I want to do something.’ I had a 93-year-old lady in there last week who never put up a political sign in her life that came in to get a sign.”
Moss Vetica, who manages the Democratic Headquarters at 1213 Water St in Port Townsend (next to Don’s Pharmacy), said the location is getting livelier. By the end of last week, it was jammed much of the time.
“The day Joe Biden stepped down, the energy was so fierce in the headquarters,” Moss Vetica said at the rally. “Up until then, we had about 20 people that were coming in when we initially opened for a day. Now we're over 100. We have no more Harris yard signs. We have had to order a second batch of Make America Sane again. We have no more buttons. We have no more pins.”
Today, there are plenty of signs available, and people can contribute anywhere from $1 to $100 to take one home.
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State Senate Candidate Mike Chapman (left) talks to a constituent as Julia Cochrane waves a sign to support him. [/caption]
Donations have increased significantly at the headquarters and for the candidates. State Rep. Mike Chapman, who seeks to move into the Senate, said his donations had tripled since Biden dropped out, but said that might not be a direct connection. “It’s not scientific,” Chapman said. “I didn’t do anything different. Maybe it’s just because my flyers hit the mailbox.”
Alex Morgan, one of two Jefferson County Delegates attending the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 19, also attended the local rally. Originally selected as a Biden delegate, he and other delegates have made the seamless switch to the Harris camp.
“I'm happy with the process.” Morgan said, “Vice President Harris is the absolute best candidate for this moment.”
While there are some who feel the selection process could be more open, Morgan said that Harris has already gained tremendous voter support. Eighty-one million people voted for her and Biden in 2020, with 14 million primary voters making the same choice this year (although all of these voters may not necessarily have supported Harris in the top spot).
“I think if you had had an open process where only 4,000 delegates get to have a say about who would replace President Biden other than his vice president that wouldn't seem particularly democratic,” Morgan said.
Morgan was selected by the local party as a convention delegate, bound to Biden, whose withdrawal allowed him to support the candidate of his choice. But the party coalesced behind Harris, a choice with which Morgan agrees. The day after the rally he cast a virtual ballot in favor of Harris, contributing to her achieving enough convention delegates to secure the nomination.
“For me it's palpable,” said rally attendee Kellen Lynch of the change in political energy. “I think there's a lot of relief and encouragement that there is a chance to be hopeful. There’s an opportunity to do something that we've never done before.
“I think that's what people were asking for and that's what they can vote for now.”
All photos by Charlie Bermant
