Michigan voters support hope with Kamala Harris and Tim Walz to protect democracy

Echo opinion letter published in The Oakland Press a Michigan newspaper:

I’ve never been so fired 😊up about a Presidential and Vice-Presidents- the likes of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. #VoteHarrisWalz2024

I had the opportunity (Aug. 7) to attend the Harris/Walz rally along with 18,000 other individuals in an airhanger overlooking Detroit Metro Airport’s McNamara Terminal. The sun was beating down but the slight breeze ushered in winds of change. This rally was the cherry on top of 2 weeks of advocacy – coming home from long days at work in the automotive industry only to join 2-3 hour Zoom calls with my husband after the kids went to bed – including White Women for Harris, Veteran Families for Harris, and White Dudes for Harris – which collectively raked in over 💲4 Million dollars into the estimated over 💲300 Million they’ve brought into the campaign since Joe Biden announced he was stepping aside to let Kamala Harris shine.

Governor Tim Walz and Vice-Presidential candidate attending the Michigan vs Minnesota football game on Septpember 28, 2024

We stood shoulder to shoulder for hours and listened to almost every significant Democratic leader from the State of Michigan speak at the rally, including Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, House of Representatives Hillary Scholten, Debbie Dingle, Elissa Slotkin, Shri Thanedar, and Haley Stevens, Senator Debbie Stabenow, and Governor (Big) Gretchen Whitmer. Their messages were peppered with inspirational one liners, humor, some cuss words (Gretch), but overall message of unity. They highlighted their misalignment with the opposition with facts on policy and change instead of hate and derision – even when small groups tried to gain momentum with chants of “Lock Him Up” they quickly waned in favor of “VOTE!”

Most of us stood there for hours, tirelessly shifting in our place amongst fellow like minded thinkers waiting for a glimpse of history in the making. Then Tim Walz took the stage to much fanfare as America’s Dad. A man who’s evolution from farmer to Governor is what the American Dream is made of. As a former Republican myself, he is the moderate we’ve been searching for – military background and pro-Gun (with smart gun laws) – he used his state’s surplus of tax revenue to invest in education and free breakfast and lunches for all school age children. He’s a candidate whose policies we could (and should) all get behind. He’s an example of not only how we can do better but we can be better. And he’s pivoted the narrative of the traditional Democratic ticket.

We all sat eagerly holding onto every word of their message. At the end of the day I came home with layers of sweat, a bad back, sore feet but a full heart and a feeling of optimism for America’s future. I’ll tell my kids about this experience as it was one for the books as we continue to fight for our democracy, for our voice, for our votes. As we came back into the bright sunshine of the tarmac at the end of the rally, we were bid farewell by the sun setting behind Air Force Two, a physical symbol of democracy.

From Theresa Osbourn, in Rochester Hills, in Michigan