Stephen A's Take: VP Harris Pitch to Independents. Biden slams Trump voters.

Summary

The Stephen A. Smith Show – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Stephen A's Take: VP Harris Pitch to Independents. Biden slams Trump voters.
Release Date: October 30, 2024
Host: Stephen A. Smith
Produced by: iHeartPodcasts

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Introduction

In this episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show, host Stephen A. Smith delves deep into the final stretch of the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election. With the election less than a week away, the focus shifts to the pivotal arguments and strategies of the leading candidates: Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. The discussion also touches upon President Joe Biden's controversial remarks targeting Trump supporters, the dynamics of independent voters, and the overarching impact of Electoral College strategies.

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Current State of the Presidential Race

As the nation inches closer to Election Day, both campaigns are intensifying their efforts to sway undecided voters and solidify their bases.

• Trump’s Rally in Pennsylvania:
  Donald Trump held a rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania, emphasizing his record and questioning voters' progress over the past four years.

  "Are you better off now than you were four years ago?" ([01:10])

• Kamala Harris’s Speech at the Ellipse:
  Vice President Kamala Harris addressed a crowd at the Ellipse, reaffirming her commitment to a different administration should she win the presidency. She highlighted the shift in national priorities from ending the pandemic to tackling rising costs affecting everyday Americans.

  "My presidency will be different because the challenges we face are different." ([01:43])

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President Biden’s Comments on Trump Supporters

President Joe Biden stirred controversy during a call with Latino supporters when he remarked that the only "garbage" he sees is among Trump supporters, a direct response to comedian Tony Hinchcliffe's derogatory remarks about Puerto Ricans at a Trump rally.

• Biden’s Statement:

  "The only garbage I see is among Trump supporters." ([02:21])

• Vice President Harris’s Response:
  Harris swiftly clarified that Biden’s comments were directed specifically at the comedian, emphasizing her stance against labeling or criticizing individuals based on their political affiliations.

  "I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for." ([02:21])

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Impact of Divisive Rhetoric

The conversation highlights the detrimental effects of divisive language in politics, drawing parallels to past incidents like Hillary Clinton's "deplorables" comment.

• Political Analyst’s Insight:
  Engaging in derogatory name-calling not only alienates a significant portion of the electorate but also reinforces a polarized "us versus them" mentality.

  "When you're willing to label folks with derogatory name calling, you're talking about them, not him." ([03:44])

• Consequences for Biden’s Campaign:
  Such rhetoric inadvertently benefits Trump by feeding into his narrative and keeping the electorate divided. The analyst emphasizes the importance of focusing on unity and substantive policy discussions.

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Trump’s Campaign Strategies and Economic Claims

Despite criticisms, Trump continues to latch onto populist themes, emphasizing border security and economic achievements.

• Promises Without Substantive Follow-Through:
  Trump reiterates his commitment to building a border wall funded by Mexico and boasts about achieving the best economy in U.S. history, despite critiques regarding rising national debt under his administration.

  "We're going to build a wall, a great big wall, and the Mexicans are going to pay for it." ([05:22])

• Economic Critique:
  The analyst counters Trump’s economic claims by pointing out the significant increase in the national debt during his tenure, which exceeded $35 trillion, doubling the debt accumulated during President Obama’s administration.

  "Under him, the debt exceeded over $35 trillion." ([05:55])

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Kamala Harris’s Appeal to Independents

Harris's campaign strategy focuses on unifying diverse voter groups and presenting herself as a unifying leader in contrast to Trump’s divisive approach.

• Emphasis on Unity:
  Harris positions herself as a candidate willing to collaborate across the political spectrum, aiming to bridge the divides that have been exacerbated over recent years.

  "He's trying to divide us. I'm trying to bring us together." ([06:04])

• Appeal to Independents:
  The discussion underscores the critical role of independent voters in this election, noting that Harris’s ability to galvanize this demographic could be pivotal.

  "What are they going to do? It's nip and tuck." ([06:44])

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Electoral College vs. Popular Vote

The conversation highlights the significance of the Electoral College in determining the election outcome, citing historical precedents where winning the popular vote did not secure the presidency.

• Historical Context:
  Drawing parallels to the 2016 and 2020 elections, the analyst emphasizes that securing Electoral College votes is paramount, regardless of the popular vote margin.

  "Hillary Rodham Clinton won more votes against Trump by 2,868,000 votes. And she still lost because she didn't win the electoral college votes." ([09:12])

• Strategic Focus for Democrats:
  The need for the Democratic campaign to prioritize Electoral College victories over sheer popular vote numbers is stressed as a vital strategy for Harris’s potential win.

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Challenges Facing Kamala Harris’s Campaign

Despite strong performances in speeches and debates, Harris faces significant hurdles in translating rhetoric into actionable voter turnout.

• Speech Performance vs. Voter Persuasion:
  While Harris has delivered impressive speeches and held her own against Trump in debates, there is skepticism about her ability to inspire and mobilize voters to the polls.

  "Can she pull it off? Has her case been made in order to inspire and galvanize people to go to the polls?" ([09:29])

• Critique of Campaign Messaging:
  The commentator criticizes Harris’s repeated emphasis on her middle-class upbringing, arguing that it may not resonate effectively with all voter demographics, particularly minorities.

  "I'm getting tired of that because I don't think it's going to work." ([10:27])

• Strategic Recommendations:
  Urging Harris to diversify her campaign messages and adopt innovative strategies to appeal to a broader electorate, the analyst encourages a departure from traditional messaging to secure a victory.

  "Try something to swing for the fences. Something a little bit different." ([12:03])

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Conclusion

As The Stephen A. Smith Show wraps up, the episode underscores the tight race between Trump and Harris, highlighting the critical importance of the coming days in shaping the election outcome. The discussions emphasize the need for strategic campaigning, the risks of divisive rhetoric, and the pivotal role of independent voters and the Electoral College in determining the next President of the United States.

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Notable Quotes:

• Kamala Harris ([01:43]):
  "My presidency will be different because the challenges we face are different."

• Joe Biden ([02:21]):
  "The only garbage I see is among Trump supporters."

• Political Analyst ([03:44]):
  "When you're willing to label folks with derogatory name calling, you're talking about them, not him."

• Trump ([05:22]):
  "We're going to build a wall, a great big wall, and the Mexicans are going to pay for it."

• Political Commentator ([10:27]):
  "I'm getting tired of that because I don't think it's going to work."

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key discussions and analyses presented in the episode, providing listeners with an insightful overview of the critical dynamics at play in the 2024 Presidential Election.

Transcript

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[Greg Rosenthal]

What's up everyone? It's Greg Rosenthal and I'm teaming up with the King of Spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season. From DJs mock drafts to my top 101, free agents will have it covered for you with all new episodes every Thursday keeping you up to date as we head to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Political Analyst]

Let's get started with the race for the White House. As the presidential election is now less than a week away, both campaigns are now making their closing arguments to the nation. Donald Trump spent Tuesday in Pennsylvania, speaking at a rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania, asked, quote, are you better off now than you were four years ago? End quote. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to an audience at the Ellipse on the Washington Mall last night, the same place where Trump spoke to the crowd that eventually stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, nearly four years ago. To be specific, Harris stated clearly how her administration would differ from that of Joe Biden. Take a listen.

[Kamala Harris]

I have been honored to serve as Joe Biden's vice president, but I will bring my own experiences and ideas to the Oval Office. My presidency will be different because the challenges we face are different. Our top priority as a nation four years ago was to end the pandemic and rescue the economy. Now our biggest challenge is is to lower costs, costs that were rising even before the pandemic and that are still too high.

[Political Analyst]

I'll touch on that in just a second. As for President Biden, he's playing cleanup since he made his own, quote, unquote garbage comment this week. During a call with Latino supporters on Tuesday, Biden said the only garbage he sees is among Trump supporters. That was a reference to comedian Tony Hinchcliffe's controversial comment Sunday calling Puerto Rico floating garbage at the Trump rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. As for Vice President Harris, she told reporters today she strongly disagrees with any criticism of people based on who they vote for. Here's the deal. Very, very smart of her to do that. I'm quite sure Biden meant it directly for the comedian who, who uttered those words out of his mouth, but it was still foolhardy for him to do so. Why? Because just like the deplorables comment that Hillary Clinton made years ago, people are going to generalize it. This is why I go off, ladies and gentlemen, and why I express to you. And I'm gonna repeat this again. I'm gonna go off topic just a touch by breaking this down for y'all. There's a reason you don't hear me uttering words like racist and all of this stuff out of my mouth when it comes to somebody like Donald Trump. I know how incendiary his comments can be. I know how irresponsible his rhetoric has been. I know how divisive he comes across.

[Political Commentator]

But when you're willing to label folks with name calling, with derogatory name calling, the supporters of that candidate, of the mindset, you're talking about them, not him. It could be somebody you work with. It could be somebody you work for. It could be colleagues, contemporaries, bosses, friends, family members. They're not always going to tell you who they're voting for. They're not always going to tell you where their support lies. But you have to be mindful of the fact that you're not alienating the very people around you by talking about somebody in that way when you don't know whether or not they're a supporter of them. Now, in the case of Joe Biden, with his comments that he clarified was aimed towards the comedian who said it. When he spoke, he spoke in pluralities. He said they as opposed to him. Now he's the President of the United States. That everybody's going to expect that you know the difference. Regardless of the cognitive decline that they have been bloviating about over the last few months, they're going to assume it was intentional. And what have they been doing? Marco Rubio is at a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden. And what did he say? You just heard the President of the United States, Joe Biden, call us this call us garbage. That's what he said about Trump supporters. Well, we're not. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. That's what happens. And so as a result of that, the divisiveness kicks in. And when that kicks in, you play.

[Political Analyst]

Right into Trump's hands, because it's us against them. And he doesn't have to talk about specifically what he has to offer this country. Oh, we're going to be over. We're going to build a wall, a great big wall, and the Mexicans are going to pay for it. That didn't happen. We're going to have the best economy in the history. We had the best economy in the history of this country. Well, a lot of people have debated that to be otherwise. He never mentions the fact that the debt under him exceeded over $35 trillion.

[Political Commentator]

And it doubled the amount of debt that President Obama had accumulated under his administration.

[Political Analyst]

He didn't mention any of that.

[Political Commentator]

You know why? Because he doesn't have to. Because he's got everybody so focused on his behavior that they don't really lock in and zero in on the issues. And so when Kamala Harris is giving her speech last night and she's talking about, hey, he's trying to divide us. I'm trying to bring us together. He's not willing to work with anybody. I'm willing to work with everybody. He's going to be about revenge and exacting vengeance and retribution. I'm going to bring about us. I'm going to be about us bringing people together. Those very vague terms. Liberals will support it. Progressives will support it. Conservatives will be against it.

[Political Analyst]

What about the independents? What are they going to do? Ladies and gentlemen, we're six days away from the election at this moment in time that I'm taping this show. Do you know that it's nip and tuck.

[Political Commentator]

Do you know that when Trump won the election in 2016 by accumulating over 304 electoral college votes, did you know that he was down significantly more in.

[Political Analyst]

The polls in the days leading up to the election? Prior to him winning, do you know.

[Political Commentator]

That in 2020, he was also down in the polls?

[Political Analyst]

Even though he ultimately lost that election, he swears he won.

[Political Commentator]

The point is it being nip and tuck right now between him and Kamala.

[Political Analyst]

Harris is a bad sign for Kamala Harris.

[Political Commentator]

Somebody's gotta say it, so I'm gonna say it. She's in trouble.

[Political Analyst]

Now.

[Political Commentator]

You saw me there with the tag on my chest. I voted yes, I voted for her. And I'm unapologetic about it because we don't need somebody that divisive in the White House because I believe it's gonna cause chaos in this country. But other people don't care about the chaos. They care about their wallet or they care about reproductive rights or they care about the border and Immigration laws and reform. They care about those kind of things. They don't care about that. The fact that this race is tight, that they're speculating that she's in danger of losing Pennsylvania, which, by the way, is a case as to why she should have picked Governor Josh Shapiro as opposed to Tim Walls from Minnesota. These are all things to be worried about. This is not a guarantee. You got to get to the polls. And oh, by the way, you got to hope, if you're hoping for her to win, that the Democrats have played their cards right and they focus on what it takes to win the Electoral College vote and not concern themselves with the popular vote. Because, remember, Hillary Rodham Clinton won more votes against Trump by 2,868,000 votes.

[Political Analyst]

And.

[Political Commentator]

She still lost because she didn't win the electoral college votes.

[Political Analyst]

53% of that base, by the way, is women. 53% of the electorate for Electoral College voting are women.

[Political Commentator]

So if they all show up to the polls, Kamala Harris should win.

[Political Analyst]

But can she get into the polls? Can you pull it off? You think she's done that? Has her case been made in order to do that, to inspire and galvanize.

[Political Commentator]

People to go to the polls?

[Political Analyst]

That remains to be seen. These speeches are nice. Some have been very good.

[Political Commentator]

I thought last night's speech was very.

[Political Analyst]

Good with the White House as the backdrop. I thought she performed well during the debate against Donald Trump, face to face. I thought some speeches she's given at these rallies and certainly her speech at the Democratic National Convention was impressive. But when she's been interviewed by folks who know politics and this is their.

[Political Commentator]

Lane, and they're asking her about the issues, I swear, before all things, I'ma lose it if I hear her preface her answers again by telling the world she was raised in a middle class household. I'm getting tired of that because I don't think it's going to work. If I thought it would work, I'd like it. I don't think that's going to work.

[Political Analyst]

Just a little nugget of information, particularly when you're speaking to the minority portion of the population.

[Political Commentator]

Middle class is closer to upper class.

[Political Analyst]

Than it is to lower class.

[Political Commentator]

And a lot of times people don't.

[Political Analyst]

Think your level of relatability is elevated when you say middle class.

[Political Commentator]

Her team telling her to say middle class. Middle class, middle class. Especially when you're preferencing every answer with.

[Political Analyst]

That may not work.

[Political Commentator]

I'm only saying all of this to.

[Political Analyst]

Say, ladies and gentlemen, I voted for her. I want her to win. I'm critiquing because I want her to win, not because I want her to lose. You. You got six days to convince the voters it ain't over. It's nip and tuck. It could go either way. You've been saying that for months.

[Political Commentator]

It goes either way.

[Political Analyst]

Try something to swing for the fences. Something a little bit different. Change it up a little bit. You got six days to do it. Even though folks are voting early like myself. You got six days to do it. It.

[Greg Rosenthal]

What's up everyone? It's Greg Rosenthal, and I'm teaming up with the King of Spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season. From DJs mock drafts to my top 101 free agents, we'll have it covered for you with all new episodes every Thursday keeping you up to date as we head to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Julius RBinks]

What's up everyone? Julius RBinks here, along with former NHL player Nate Thompson.

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[Julius RBinks]

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[Julius RBinks]

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[Julius RBinks]

Listen to Energy Line with Nate and JSB on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.