In West Allis, Kamala Harris electrified the crowd in her first campaign rally as presumptive Democratic nominee
In West Allis, Kamala Harris electrified the crowd in her first campaign rally as presumptive Democratic nominee
"I haven’t felt anything like this in many, many years, possibly since President Obama’s first run to be the president of the United States.”
The Recombobulation Area is a thirteen-time Milwaukee Press Club award-winning weekly opinion column and online publication founded by longtime Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. Learn more about it here.
Less than a month and what feels like several news cycle lifetimes ago, I was at Joe Biden’s rally in Madison, just eight days after the debate. Today, I was in West Allis for Kamala Harris’ first campaign rally as the presumptive Democratic nominee.
I cannot overstate the difference in the energy at the two rallies. It was night and day.
The capacity crowd at West Allis Central High School was electrified, hearing a presidential campaign speech from the vice president, greeting this campaign with fresh eyes. It felt like the entire Democratic Party presidential campaign apparatus and its supporters had been plugged back in, the energy that’s been missing not only present but palpable. People were fired up.
I talked to Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley after the speech, and he said, “I think about the enthusiasm, the energy that’s in this room. I haven’t felt anything like this in many, many years, possibly since President Obama’s first run to be the president of the United States.”
The rally in West Allis came less than 48 hours after President Joe Biden announced he’d be ending his re-election campaign and backing Harris. It also comes less than a week after the Republican National Convention, held just down the road in downtown Milwaukee. The Milwaukee area sure has been the center of the political universe lately, but the choice to be here seemed like no coincidence.
“The path to the White House goes through Wisconsin,” said Harris.
The vice president was greeted with rapturous applause entering the building, with attendees waving “KAMALA” signs in blue and white and starting chants of their own during especially resonant lines in her speech. One such moment stood out, when Harris ended a line of criticism of Republican policies on health care, Social Security and Medicare, and the economy, saying, “America has tried these failed economic policies before, but we are not going back. We are not going back,” and the crowd responded with “Not going back!” chants of their own.
The overall energy in the building was a stark departure from where things were for Democrats just a few short weeks ago in Madison, where Joe Biden took the stage in the wake of his catastrophic debate performance. There, it seemed like people were walking on eggshells, unsure of which step to take, one person even telling me she was there “hoping that he’ll make some big announcement” about the future of his candidacy. Lines from Biden on policy differences between him and his opponent didn’t resonate the same with so many focused on whether or not the president appeared to be up to the task of this campaign and the next four years in office.
Not only did this resonate in Harris’ spectacular speech, it was notable from the rest of the Wisconsin Democrats speaking, too. Whether it was Sen. Tammy Baldwin or Gov. Tony Evers or Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, Democrats seemed more than ready to talk about their priority issues in this campaign — reproductive rights, an economic contrast, health care policy, infrastructure investments, Trump’s felony convictions, Project 2025, etc. — and there was a sense that they’re feeling let loose to make those arguments in a fresh new way. You could even say they’re…unburdened.
The energy from the rally carried on after its conclusion, a real buzz in the air and people brimming with optimism in conversations after the speech.
“The energy is palpable,” said Sarah Godlewski, Wisconsin Secretary of State. “I haven't felt this in a really, really long time.”
“I think the sense of relief and excitement in this country is overwhelming right now,” said Jim Doyle, former Wisconsin governor.
“The electricity and the energy in this room was just so exciting,” said Sara Rodriguez, Wisconsin’s lieutenant governor. “And I know that Vice President Harris is going to deliver for Wisconsin. She was amazing up on stage. I had the opportunity to meet her on the tarmac. She is gracious and kind. And that is what we need in a leader of the United States, someone who is smart, kind and has our best interests at heart.”
Many of those in attendance were especially positive about the decision to make the change at the top of the ticket, like attendee and supporter Kerry Scanlan, who said, “I love Joe, but I think this is the energy that we needed. It’s the boost that we needed. I’m thrilled.”
“It’s a game-changer for the Democrats,” said Michael Zirbel. “They get the best of both worlds. They get all the benefits of the Biden administration and what the Biden-Harris ticket has done with the youth and vitality that Harris is going to bring.”
“I fully agree that Joe Biden is one of our greatest public servants of all time, but that it was the right choice to step down,” said Andrew Derks. “I’m reenergized and reinvigorated by Kamala.”
Lauren Williams, a supporter from Milwaukee, said she was “a little sad Joe Biden did have to drop out of the race,” but said she was “looking forward to (Kamala Harris) being the first woman president.”
A number of people spoke about the importance of a woman on the top of the ticket and the opportunity to make history. Godlewski mentioned breaking the “glass ceiling.” Crowley talked about how excited his wife was about the news during his remarks, and about telling his two young girls about this historic moment. Rodriguez talked about bringing her mother and daughter to the event. There was even an impromptu “I’m with her!” chant in between speakers during the rally.
“We look at things like reproductive rights, affordable child care, paid family leave,” said Godlewski. “These issues for so long have been treated like political footballs. Why? Because we don’t have enough women at this table. And with Kamala Harris at the head of the table, she can talk about these experiences.”
The rally, on the whole, felt like a moment where a real shift was occurring. This is the honeymoon period, to be sure. There will be serious challenges for Harris to face hurdles for her to clear in the not too distant future. There’s no doubt about that. But at this rally, there was an injection of energy and enthusiasm on the Democratic side not felt in quite some time. As Harris delivered the closing remarks of her speech, giving way for applause and cheers as Beyonce’s “Freedom” played through the gymnasium, there was a sense that everything had just changed, and Wisconsin Democrats left fired up for a 104-day sprint to Election Day.
Dan Shafer is a journalist from Milwaukee who writes and publishes The Recombobulation Area. He’s also written for The New York Times, The Daily Beast, Heartland Signal, Belt Magazine, WisPolitics, and Milwaukee Record. He previously worked at Seattle Magazine, Seattle Business Magazine, the Milwaukee Business Journal, Milwaukee Magazine, and BizTimes Milwaukee. He’s won 18 Milwaukee Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards. He’s on Twitter at @DanRShafer.
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