The following is the opinion and analysis of the writers:
Steve Westly
This election has all the elements of an epic blockbuster movie. Two dramatically different candidates — one, an entitled scion of a billionaire New York family. And the other a self-made woman of color, and daughter of immigrants from Oakland, California. They have radically different worldviews — and we face an election that essentially split 50-50 in the most important election of our lifetimes. How can this be?
Donald Trump’s 50% showing is largely based on his successfully branding himself as a winner. And with a billion-dollar net worth, TV reality show, Florida mansion and several golf courses to his name, this on its face seems believable. Vice President Harris’s goal is to remind voters that Trump is a loser: He lost the 2020 presidential election, lied about losing, and lost 60 court cases confirming that he had in fact lost. Virtually every candidate Trump endorsed in the midterms lost, and he’s the only president in history who has lost the support of his own Vice President.
People are also reading…
At the same time, 700 current and former national security leaders along with 111 former Republican officials endorsed Harris while calling Trump unfit for office. He’s also suffered four bankruptcies, two divorces and has been convicted of 34 felony counts and 6 sexual assault cases. And, he has paid a porn star $150k in hush money for sex. Perhaps most importantly to the average voter — no one would know who Donald Trump was if he hadn’t inherited everything from his father.
If Vice President Harris can “bring this case home,” she will win the election.
But there may be an easier path. VP Harris could follow the path of aspirational leaders from Martin Luther King and Ronald Reagan to Arnold Schwarzenegger and Barack Obama. The path of self-made leaders who could show ordinary people the way forward to a better future. Trump is desperately trying to paint a picture of despair in an America with rioting in the streets and people eating their neighbor’s pets. That doesn’t jibe with the reality most Americans are facing.
It’s true that many Americans have to work two or three jobs to pay the bills and inflation hurts everyone. The Biden-Harris Administration has created 15.6M new jobs and the US has historically high employment rates. The stock market is at near record highs. Inflation is coming down and gas costs $0.67 less than it did a year ago. NATO and our alliances are stronger than ever and, American troops are not facing active combat in foreign countries. the Biden-Harris administration has passed historic bipartisan legislation to rebuild America’s infrastructure. And it has passed the largest green energy bill in the history of the world. This is a bright future that Trump can’t begin to match and it’s real.
Harris’ compelling personal story combined with a track record of security abroad and prosperity at home may not only be more compelling but more effective at mobilizing a new generation of voters to come to the polls. Simply put, most people would rather hear a brighter message than a darker one and would rather move forward than backward. Vice President Harris’s stunning debate performance suggests she is the person who can convince them. Taylor Swift certainly thinks so.
Follow these steps to easily submit a letter to the editor or guest opinion to the Arizona Daily Star.
Jeffrey Pfeffer is a professor of Organizational Behavior at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. Steve Westly is the former California State Controller and is the Founder of the Westly Group, a sustainability focused venture firm.
