PITTSBURGH – A Pittsburgh progressive suggested to The Washington Post that pro-Palestinian voters in the battleground state of Pennsylvania could undermine Kamala Harris' candidacy.
The Harris campaign sent volunteers out door-to-door across the Steel City on Saturday, where the vice president spent the weekend preparing for Tuesday's debate. But protesters continued to bang on the noise and chanted “Free Palestine!” Outside the hotel.
During Kamala's campaign, volunteers were busy trying to sell the vice president's message to at least one voter, a man who told The Washington Post he was Kevin B.
As they approached Kevin's home in Pittsburgh's Bloomfield neighborhood, the Democratic Party visitors noticed a poster of the Palestinian flag in the window.
When asked if he planned to vote for Harris, Kevin said he wasn't sure yet, but when pressed to name the most important issue he answered without hesitation: “Israel.”
“The main reason I don't vote Democrat is the Israel issue,” the 30-year-old paramedic told The Post, referring to the war between Israel and Hamas. “Not only are we on Israel's side, we're funding it. We're taking money from ourselves and our people to fund the genocide of a foreign government.”
“I don't like the way the Democrats are handling it either,” Sonia, a Harris volunteer, responded. “But it's the lesser of two evils,” she added.
The anti-ceasefire, anti-vote campaign is organizing voters Refuse to support them I cannot endorse Harris in the November election until there is a permanent ceasefire or the vice president commits to an arms embargo on Israel.
In April, at the urging of the pro-Palestinian group Uncommitted PA, more than 60,000 Democrats voted against President Joe Biden in Pennsylvania's primary election.
Biden won Pennsylvania in 2020, 80,000 votes.
Kevin could be one of the crucial few to determine the outcome of Pennsylvania's 19 electoral votes in 2024. He is undecided about Harris but is considering voting for Green Party candidate Jill Stein, who supports an arms embargo.
A poll conducted in late August found that 25% of Muslim voters in Pennsylvania SteinMeanwhile, 37% supported Harris and 19% were undecided.
Harris acknowledged that “too many civilians” have died in Israel's invasion of Gaza but has continued to voice her support for Israel's right to self-defense, including during Tuesday night's presidential debate with former President Donald Trump.
During the debate, the vice president reiterated that Israel has the right to defend itself, but “how it defends itself matters,” and reiterated his call for a two-state solution in which Israelis and Palestinians would be “equally” guaranteed security.
Israel 40,000 Palestinians Since the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 1,200 Israeli civilians have been killed and more than 240 taken hostage.
Currently, around 100 people remain detained in Gaza.However, many of the remaining hostages are believed to be dead. In August, the U.S. $20 billion It provided Israel with $1 million worth of fighter jets and other weaponry.
“How long must our people be put at a disadvantage?” Kevin said. “We are struggling as a country with the cost of living, food, gas, and yet we are funding the slaughter of our own people.”
“Democrats like to push a progressive narrative and take the moral high ground against Republicans on gun control, voting rights and the Black Lives Matter movement,” he told the Post. “But do they really believe those things? Or do they think that stance will get them votes?”
Kevin pointed out that in 2016, Democrats supported Hillary Clinton over “progressive candidate” Bernie Sanders.
He also recently called Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein “Predatory“They took votes away from the Democrats.”
“They're trying to manipulate people into voting for them,” Kevin said, lamenting that the party's election strategy includes pressuring progressives to vote against their conscience.
That game might include accepting the endorsement of former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney, the chief architect of the Iraq War and whom Kevin calls a “fucking war criminal.”
“This is not the people's fault. It's your fault that the Democrats sabotaged the election themselves,” he said.
Midway through my conversation with Kevin, Linda, another Harris volunteer, tried to change the topic to discuss abortion rights.
“I'm pro-abortion and I'm very disappointed that Roe v. Wade was overturned,” he said, but “the world didn't fall apart” under Donald Trump.
Linda later told The Washington Post that she knew her digression wouldn't change Kevin's mind, but she hoped others in Pennsylvania would have their way.
“It was disappointing at the time,” she said, “but there are other undecided voters who will support Harris.”
