It’s no secret that the 2024 presidential election is shaping up to be the most politically polarized race in a generation. Record numbers of voters now identify firmly with one of the two major political parties, and fewer voters than ever tell pollsters they can be persuaded away from their chosen candidate.
Despite persistent, sharp ideological divides appearing in poll after poll, what if voters are actually more persuadable than they seem?
Last week provided the best evidence yet that Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign isn’t just firing up Democratic voters—it’s also breaking down partisan walls in ways the pundit class never predicted. From Fortune 500 CEOs and law enforcement leaders to former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney, the Harris campaign is proving it’s never too late to play the persuasion game.
On Friday, Harris upended Republican arguments that her campaign is anti-business after 88 corporate leaders published a joint letter endorsing her campaign—and highlighting just how much better the economy will be with a Democrat in the White House.
“The business community can be confident that it will have a president who wants American industries to thrive,” the executives write. That’s a sharp contrast to Donald Trump’s presidency, which was defined by costly trade wars that raised prices for consumers and sent U.S. economic productivity tumbling.
“Vice President Harris has a strong record of advancing actions to spur business investment in the United States and ensure American businesses can compete and win in the global market,” the executives wrote. “She will continue to advance fair and predictable policies that support the rule of law, stability, and a sound business environment.”
The fact that business leaders are openly rallying behind a Democrat as the best defender of President Joe Biden’s economic move is a major news story in itself. But it’s the makeup of that group that has raised eyebrows across Washington. Among the executives signing on to the pro-Harris letter are Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman, Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis, and former 21st Century Fox CEO James Murdoch.
Yeah, you read that right. The son of News Corp magnate Rupert Murdoch is now all-in for Harris.
Harris also preempted Trump’s weekend endorsement by the Fraternal Order of Police with an unexpected surprise of her own: a letter from 101 law enforcement officials endorsing the Harris/Walz ticket as “the only candidates we trust to keep our communities safe.” Law enforcement leaders from around the country praised Harris’ record as a prosecutor, as well as highlighting Gov. Tim Walz’s $300 million in state funding for public safety training and officer retention.
It helped that Harris’ opponent is also a 34-time convicted felon who can’t stop promising to break the law in order to seek revenge on his political opponents. In their letter, law enforcement veterans reiterated the stark choice Americans face this November between “someone who spent her career enforcing our laws and someone who has been convicted of breaking them.”
After years surrendering the law enforcement vote to Republican politicians, Harris’ letter represents a notable shift in Democratic appeal among police. Harris’ law enforcement support spans a broad swath of America, with officials from over a dozen states including Arizona, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina, and including past and present sheriffs, chiefs of police, and even FBI special agents.
But the most surprising shift comes from one of America’s preeminent Republican political dynasties. On Friday, former Vice President and lifelong Republican Dick Cheney announced that he would be voting for Harris in November. In making his surprise declaration, Cheney made clear that even staunch political partisans must choose between short-term political interests and the long term health of the nation.
“In our nation’s 248-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump,” Cheney said in a statement. “As citizens, we each have a duty to put country above partisanship to defend our Constitution. That is why I will be casting my vote for Vice President Kamala Harris.”
Cheney joins a growing list of Republicans who have crossed party lines to endorse Harris—including his own daughter, former Rep. Liz Cheney. Also backing Harris are former Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger, and former GOP Reps. Rod Chandler, Tom Coleman, Dave Emery, Jim Greenwood, Denver Riggleman, Claudine Schneider, Chris Shays, Peter Smith, Alan Steelman, and Joe Walsh. Former Georgia Lieutenant Gov. Geoff Duncan also made headlines for his own very public break with Trump last month.
The roster of Republican defectors has grown so alarming to the Trump campaign that many now feel the best path to preserve GOP strength in future elections is for Trump to lose in November. But some Republican lawmakers fear Trump has tipped the party too far into extreme authoritarian rhetoric to salvage anything this cycle—as Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales admitted when he predicted the GOP would lose control of the House.
“What is frustrating me is, I firmly believe that House Republicans are going to lose the majority. And we're going to lose it because of ourselves,” Gonzales told Punchbowl News, adding that Harris’ messaging is “at a different level than where we’re at.”
Even some close Trump allies have stepped away from the MAGA universe to announce they’re casting ballots for Harris. Former Trump White House officials Stephanie Grisham and Olivia Troye have both publicly announced their intent to vote for Harris, as has conservative Mesa, Arizona Mayor John Giles.
Political science research shows that even highly partisan voters are more likely to consider changing their votes when members of their own political groups urge them to reconsider. The business leaders, law enforcement officials, and Republican politicians now loudly breaking ranks with the GOP also represent the backbone of what the Republican Party once was.
Voters may not be receptive to a Harris/Walz campaign volunteer urging them to switch their vote—but hearing it from trusted voices within their partisan circle is a different matter entirely. Harris’ new coalition of law enforcement, business, and political leaders once again puts Republicans on the defensive with just two months until Election Day.
As Republicans rush to reassure their base that the growing list of defections isn’t a fatal blow to Trump’s campaign, Harris now steps into an unexpected new role: the unity candidate. Now she has the coalition to prove it.
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Written by Max Burns. Cross-posted from Daily Kos.
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