- Diverse Zoom calls raise millions
- “White Dudes for Harris” breaks records
- Harris campaign sees grassroots enthusiasm
It began with a group of black women on a Zoom call who raised $1 million in roughly three hours.
Following the success of the black women’s Zoom call, a series of diverse Zooms were organized, each targeting different populations in support of Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. This inclusive approach has brought together a wide range of supporters, making everyone feel part of a larger movement.
On Monday night, organizers said a three-hour call named “White Dudes for Harris” drew 190,000 people and donated more than $4 million (£3.1 million) in donations.
There were high-profile celebrities and politicians in attendance.
The US vice president’s bid for the presidency is less than a week old.
Still, it is channeling grassroots enthusiasm that President Joe Biden did not have, with supporters using modern video conferencing to reach out to committed voters and raise funds remotely.
In the last week, approximately 100 days before Election Day, the campaign has raised $200 million (£155 million) and signed up over 170,000 new volunteers.
And, unlike large funders who helped persuade Mr. Biden to step aside and finish his campaign just days ago, hundreds of thousands of ordinary Democrats are already generating “Kamalamentum”.
Call attendance began in the tens of thousands, which is quite impressive given that Zoom meetings are typically limited to 1,000 participants.
However, since then, two calls have garnered over 150,000 people. Zoom has not responded to requests for comment on this article.
Republicans have labelled some of the identity-based virtual gatherings as “racist” and “desperate” attempts to appeal to liberal voters.
While some may shudder at such overt exploitation of identity in marketing, the impact of these virtual events is being taken seriously.
The Zoom sessions are “a signal that there is enormous enthusiasm out there for her candidacy,” said Republican consultant and pollster Whit Ayres.
And he added Republicans would be mistaken to criticize the identity-based seminars.
“It backfires when you start attacking people based on their identity.” Because everyone else who shares their identify believes you are assaulting them.
Meanwhile, Ms Harris’s opponent, Donald Trump, and his party have stated that Democrats are energized by Mr Biden’s unexpected withdrawal from the campaign more than by Ms Harris herself.
On July 21, a few hours after the president announced his resignation and endorsement of his deputy, Win with Black Women, a group of black female political organizers, held the first Zoom call.
The four-hour conversation drew 44,000 participants and raised $1.6 million for Ms Harris. The original target was $1 million in 100 days.
“I felt as if Obama had won the nomination all over again. To be honest, I felt more excited,” Black Voters Matter co-founder LaTosha Brown told The 19th News after joining the call.
“My first response was, ‘OK, he’s out; now we’ve got to fight for this sister’.”
Ms Harris, 59, would be the first black woman – and the first South Asian woman – to receive a major American party’s presidential nomination. The official nomination will take place during the Democratic National Convention in August.
South Asian women have gathered to celebrate their “auntie,” while Latinas have greeted a “hermana.”
On July 22, the day after Mr Biden’s announcement, more than 53,000 black males gathered on Zoom and raised $1.3 million in approximately six hours.
Another massive video conference, “White Women: Answer the Call,” crashed on Thursday when more than 160,000 people joined – the largest Zoom call in history, according to organizers.
Shannon Watts, a prominent gun control campaigner and the call’s principal organiser, announced on Twitter/X that the organization had raised $11 million for Ms Harris.
White women constitute the greatest voting group in this country. We account for 40% of voters and are divided along religious, marital, and educational lines.
And even a minor alteration in our voting patterns can swing an election, so that was a topic we needed to discuss on this call.
By Monday evening, the ‘White Dudes for Harris’ call appeared to have broken the Zoom record previously held by their female counterparts. This record-breaking success is a testament to the growing enthusiasm and support for Kamala Harris’ campaign, leaving supporters feeling proud and excited about the progress.
Supporters were warned, sometimes profanely, not to let the Trump campaign speak for “all white men”.
“I’m white, I’m a dude, and I’m for Harris — a woman president, man… how exciting,” actor Jeff Bridges, who played The male in the 1998 hit film The Big Lebowski, told the audience.
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Others who spoke included celebrities Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Mark Ruffalo, Mark Hamill, and Sean Astin, as well as four of Ms Harris’ vice-presidential candidates: Gary Peters, JB Pritzker, Pete Buttigieg, and Tim Walz.
Mr Ayres believes the Trump team should be concerned if Ms Harris can maintain this momentum and avoid off-the-cuff gaffes during public engagements.
The Zoom meetings have proven to be an effective way for Harris’ message to reach people in an informal atmosphere while still addressing her campaign’s key themes. This success is a stark contrast to her 2019 campaign, instilling a sense of optimism and hope for the future among supporters.
If Clinton runs her campaign like she did the previous time she ran for president, it will fail and Donald Trump will waltz into the White House, Mr Ayres predicted.
On the other hand, if she has learnt how to be an effective national candidate under intense pressure, she will give him a run for his money.
