The Morning: Harris’s muscular patriotism

Plus, House Republicans, flash floods and hate-watching.

View in browser|nytimes.com August 19, 2024 By David Leonhardt Good morning. We're covering the start of the Democratic convention — as well as House Republicans, flash floods and hate-watching. At a rally in Philadelphia. Erin Schaff/The New York Times Progressive patriotism At her first rally with Tim Walz, Kamala Harris delivered a riff about their quintessentially American backgrounds. She grew up in Oakland, Calif., raised by a working mother, while he grew up on the Nebraska plains, she explained. They were "two middle-class kids," she said, now trying to make it to the White House together. "Only in America," Harris said, as the Philadelphia crowd burst into a chant of "U.S.A.! U.S.A.!" This sort of unabashed patriotism doesn't always come naturally to today's Democratic Party. But it has been central to Harris's presidential campaign. In her ads and speeches, she portrays herself as a tough, populist, progressive patriot. It has made a difference, too. Harris has persuaded — for now, at least — a meaningful slice of swing voters that she is not the out-of-touch California liberal who Republicans claim she is. In Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, she has surged ahead of Donald Trump partly because she is performing better with working-class voters and rural voters than President Biden was (even before his disastrous debate), according to Times/Siena College polls. Across both the Midwest and Sun Belt swing states, she is faring better with independents. Today is my first newsletter after an August break, and I am struck by how much Harris's message has revolved around progressive patriotism over the past couple weeks. With the Democratic convention about to begin, I'll explain why you can expect to hear more of this theme from Harris and Walz. Who's patriotic? I know that many Democrats already consider their party to be the patriotic one. Republican protesters, after all, were the ones who violently attacked Congress in 2021, and Donald Trump regularly portrays modern America as a hellscape. But it also the case that Republicans are more comfortable with many expressions of patriotism than Democrats are. Republican voters are much more likely to describe themselves as "very patriotic" than Democratic voters are, according to YouGov polls. And Republicans are more likely than Democrats — especially highly educated Democrats — to say that the United States is the world's greatest country: Source: New York Times/Siena College poll, Sept. 2022 | By The New York Times Given all this, it's not surprising that most voters consider the Republican Party to be the more patriotic one: Source: YouGov April 2024 poll | By The New York Times The far left plays a role here. Parts of it — think of Noam Chomsky — can be disdainful of the U.S., describing it as a fundamentally oppressive country. Liberals, not conservatives, tend to argue that immigrants are forced to move here because of the consequences of American imperialism. Liberals are more likely to have qualms about national institutions like Thanksgiving, the military or the flag. The most prominent left-wing movement of the past year — the Gaza protests — is a case study. The movement has not merely called attention to the high civilian death toll in Gaza; it sometimes portrays the war as an extension of U.S. immorality. Protesters have pulled down American flags and defaced a statue of George Washington with the word "genocidal." The America-skeptical left isn't the Democratic Party, of course. But the left does exacerbate many swing voters' concerns about the party — namely, that it isn't cleareyed about a dangerous world. These same swing voters generally don't like Trump, but they do appreciate his apparent toughness on trade, immigration, crime and more. Harris's shift Harris has devoted much of her early campaign to narrowing both her party's toughness and patriotism deficits. Her stump speech is organized around the idea of fighting for "the promise of America," and she has made clear that she's willing to take on both the far left and far right. She excoriated Gaza protesters for burning a U.S. flag. She and Walz also cast themselves as defenders of liberty against Republicans who threaten it, especially on abortion rights. As my colleague Katie Glueck wrote, "Using traditionally right-leaning words and phrasing, they are portraying themselves as the true champions of universal American values." Harris combines patriotism with muscular promises to defend the interests of ordinary Americans. "Being president is about who you fight for, and she's fighting for people like you," the narrator in a campaign ad says. Her ads explain that as a prosecutor, she took on murderers, child abusers, drug cartels, big banks and big drug companies. Harris's flip-flop on immigration embodies both the toughness and patriotism themes. As a presidential candidate in 2019 — when the left was more influential in the Democratic Party — she favored decriminalizing border crossings. Today, she promises to protect Americans from gangs and fentanyl flowing across the border, and she criticizes Trump for blocking a border-security bill Kamala Harris Erin Schaff/The New York Times In part, Harris's approach is an attempt to combat sexist stereotypes about strength. But gender isn't the main explanation. Patriotism has long been a successful Democratic strategy, for both female and male candidates. The last three Democratic presidents — Biden, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton — all celebrated American ideals while acknowledging the country's flaws. So have successful Democratic Senate candidates in purple and red states, like Arizona, Pennsylvania, Montana and Ohio. "We love our country," Harris said in Philadelphia, with Walz standing behind her, "and I believe it is the highest form of patriotism to fight for the ideals of our country." More on the convention The Democrats have allotted five speaking slots to social media influencers, an effort to reach voters who don't typically consume traditional media. Large protests against the Biden-Harris administration's approach to the war in Gaza are expected. Officials in Chicago say they're prepared for demonstrations. Protest leaders describe plans for days of peaceful gatherings. At the 1968 Democratic convention there, violence erupted between the police and demonstrators protesting the Vietnam War. Read memories from the people who lived it. Democrats released their party platform. It mentioned Trump's name 150 times and included familiar priorities like tax cuts for working families. THE LATEST NEWS More on the Election The Harris campaign has essentially chosen the most popular parts of Biden's agenda, hoping that a younger messenger can sell them to Americans. An ABC poll showed Harris leading Trump in swing states, while a CBS poll showed them tied. See polling averages for five swing states here. JD Vance defended his past unsubstantiated claims that early waves of Italian, Irish and German immigration led to higher crime by citing the movie "Gangs of New York." Some U.S. companies, concerned about potential increased tariffs on Chinese goods if Trump is elected, are stockpiling parts. Georgia's election board now has a conservative majority who question the state's 2020 results. They have new power to influence the 2024 results. More on Politics President Biden Pete Marovich for The New York Times House Republicans formally made the case for impeaching Biden, using circumstantial evidence to accuse him of corruption tied to his son's business dealings. In Georgia, a statue of John Lewis, the congressman and civil rights leader, was installed in a space where a Confederate memorial had stood for more than 100 years. International Antony Blinken and Israel's president, Isaac Herzog. Pool photo by Kevin Mohatt During a trip to Israel, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that recent negotiations had created one of the best chances for reaching a cease-fire in Gaza. "This is a decisive moment," he said. Volodymyr Zelensky wants to hold Russian territory as leverage for future talks to end the war in Ukraine. In Moscow, many doubt that strategy. Thousands of Indian doctors refused to heed the government's request to end protests over the rape and murder of a fellow medic, Reuters reports. A fire in Kuwait that killed 49 migrant workers, mostly from India, exposed the unsafe living conditions for low-paid migrants in the oil-rich nation. Other Big Stories Powerful storms caused flash flooding on Long Island. The same storm system dumped as much as 10 inches of rain on Connecticut on Sunday. See a video. Hurricane Ernesto threatens beachgoers on the East Coast with swells and rip currents. Elon Musk said he closed the X office in Brazil because a judge there ordered the company to suspend certain accounts. Opinions In 2014, ISIS brutally killed the journalist James Foley. Ten years later, Diane Foley, his mother, recalls her confrontation with one of his killers. The world's over-dependence on China used to work. But as China's economy slows, the global economy is now vulnerable to a debt crisis, Michael Beckley writes. Gail Collins and Bret Stephens discuss the Democratic National Convention. David French is an evangelical Christian conservative. But this November, for the first time in his life, he plans to vote for a Democrat for president. On a new episode of "The Opinions," he explains why other conservatives should follow his lead. Listen to the episode here, or wherever you get your podcasts. Here are columns by Ross Douthat on masculinity and the election and Ezra Klein on how Democrats and Republicans differ. Subscribe Today The Morning highlights a small portion of the journalism that The New York Times offers. To access all of it, become a subscriber with this introductory offer. MORNING READS Mennonites from the colony of Providencia in Peru. Marco Garro for The New York Times Peru: These Mennonites — seeking inexpensive land away from modern life — are making the Amazon their home. Now (hate) watching: Why do so many of us watch shows we think are bad? Happiness: Take steps to bolster your drive to seek out positive emotions. Bungee jumping: Older adults are joining their grandchildren on travel adventures. Metropolitan Diary: A guide's advice at the Met. Lives Lived: Alain Delon was a smoldering film star who worked with some of Europe's most revered 20th-century directors. He died at 88. SPORTS W.N.B.A.: The Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark set the rookie record for assists in a season in a win over the Seattle Storm. Flag football: The U.S. national team quarterback Darrell "Housh" Doucette says he thinks "it's disrespectful" for N.F.L. players to assume they will take Olympic spots when the sport debuts in 2028. ARTS AND IDEAS In California. Jim Wilson/The New York Times The U.S. still has a significant office vacancy rate — about 20 percent, according to one estimate — and downtown business districts are creating resort-like luxe spaces to compete with the comforts workers' living rooms. One such complex in the Bay Area includes nine restaurants, outdoor work spaces, a golf-simulator and a calendar of community events. More on culture Cailee Spaeny in "Alien: Romulus." 20th Century Studios "Alien: Romulus" was on pace to collect at least $42 million at the North American box office over the weekend, solidifying a turnaround at Disney's movie division. A New York hospital system has allowed filmmakers to follow its workers and patients in recent years. Now, it's starting a production company. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Linda Xiao for The New York Times Combine caramelized chunks of zucchini and tender shrimp for a simple sheet-pan meal. Buy the right water bottle for your kid. Find the best backpack for students. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangram was groundhog. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — David Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. 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