“It’s like 2008,” are words being spoken at campaign events for Vice President Kamala Harris in recognition of the enthusiasm that often greeted President Barack Obama when he was seeking the presidency.
Included in those amazing campaign stops was an event that drew more than 200,000 people to the St. Louis Gateway Arch grounds to hear Obama speak.
While the Harris and Obama campaigns are similar, so far, there is a distinct difference.
“It’s very similar energy,” the Rev. Al Sharpton said on MSNBC.
“I think what is different, it’s at a much more divisive time because of Trump. The country is much more divided, and there’s more visceral reaction to race and women. I think it’s a momentum that appears to be the same, but it’s against an even more turbulent time.”
Lavora Barnes, chair of the Michigan Democratic Party echoed the same sentiment.
“It’s like 2008, but different. People were fired up for Barack Obama in a way we hadn’t seen before. But with Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, there’s this deep understanding of [what] we have to get it done, which is so important,” she said.
“We can’t let Trump in the White House. And then these two people who bring joy and love and care for the country to this and do it with such enthusiasm and excitement themselves, it’s lifted it even higher, I feel, than where we were in 2008. It’s remarkable how good it feels.”
The energy following the Democratic National Convention in Chicago is also similar to the week following Obamas nomination in Denver in 2008.
Harris-Walz Campaign Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said the convention had ignited” the most significant organizing push since the campaign’s sudden launch.”
“Volunteers recently contacted over 1 million voters in just a few short days, a clear indicator of the campaign’s growing strength.”
In tandem with the volunteer surge, the Harris-Walz campaign has shattered fundraising records, raising an unprecedented $540 million in just over a month—setting a new high-water mark in American political history. During the convention week alone, grassroots contributions crossed the $500 million threshold just before Harris’s acceptance speech. Dillon said the momentum didn’t stop there; immediately following her address, the campaign experienced its best fundraising hour since launch day.
A third of the week’s donations came from first-time contributors, nearly one-fifth of those being young voters. Two-thirds of the young contributors are women, a critical demographic that could prove decisive in November. Additionally, according to Dillon, teachers and nurses continue to be among the most common donor occupations, underscoring the broad and deep support that Harris has cultivated.
Dillon stated that the campaign’s unprecedented fundraising totals reflect the combined efforts of Harris for President, the Democratic National Committee, and joint fundraising committees.
Dillon said organizers are now gearing up to engage voters on critical issues such as reproductive freedom, the cost of living, and Social Security and Medicare protection. Harris and Walz launched a bus tour through South Georgia on Wednesday, their first joint campaign event in the state.
With its diverse mix of rural, suburban, and urban communities, including a significant proportion of Black voters and working-class families, this region epitomizes the Harris-Walz coalition. The tour will culminate in a rally in Savannah, where Harris will directly address Georgians about the upcoming election’s stakes.
The Harris-Walz campaign is also making significant investments in paid outreach. The campaign launched a new TV ad across battleground states, highlighting Harris’s economic vision and her commitment to building an opportunity economy where everyone who works hard can get ahead. The ad is part of August’s $150 million television buy, with $370 million in television and digital reservations.
“Headed into Labor Day, our campaign is using those resources and enthusiasm to build on our momentum, taking no voters for granted and communicating relentlessly with battleground voters every single day between now and Election Day—all the while, Trump is focused on very little beyond online tantrums and attacking the voters critical to winning 270 electoral votes,” Dillon said.
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