Michelle Obama, one of the Democratic Party’s most popular but elusive surrogate candidates, will rally with Vice President Kamala Harris in Michigan on Saturday, marking her return to the campaign trail with less than two weeks until Election Day. It will be.
With the race against former President Donald J. Trump effectively at a stalemate, the Harris campaign is using Mrs. Obama as part of a series of efforts to mobilize voters to the polls. The former first lady enjoys high approval ratings among voter groups such as suburbanites and Black Americans, which Harris’ campaign is aiming to capture in the final stages of the election.
On Saturday, Mrs. Obama is scheduled to visit Kalamazoo County. Kalamazoo County is a moderate, liberal, majority white county in southwestern Michigan, where some Michigan voters overwhelmingly chose Nikki Haley over Trump in the state’s Republican primary. live. Harris hopes to attract these voters, and is actively courting moderate independents and Republicans, especially women.
Valerie Jarrett, a close friend of Mrs. Obama and a former senior adviser to President Barack Obama, said Mrs. Obama has a “deep appreciation” for the work her husband has done and for the work Ms. Harris is seeking. He said he has the highest expectations for the future. She will likely use her time on stage to talk about the qualities she believes are important in a president. The vice president has spent time in his speeches and media appearances drawing clear personality contrasts between himself and Trump.
Mr. Jarrett said Mrs. Obama’s approach could appeal to some of the most coveted voters in battleground states in the coming days precisely because she is not a politician. Mr. Jarrett described Mr. Harris and Mrs. Obama as “friends,” and said the vice president called the former first lady for advice because she was “very familiar with the opinions of people outside of traditional politics.” “This is also a factor.” feelings about the race.
“I think many of us are very concerned about the vitriol and polarization and toxicity of the zeitgeist right now,” Jarrett said. “I think Michelle Obama can uniquely get through that and appeal to our better angels.”
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