The Four Points That Harris’s Speech Needs to Emphasize

Aug. 22, 2024

By Jonathan Alter

Contributing Opinion Writer, reporting from Chicago

The most important part of any convention is the acceptance speech. It wins the highest ratings and usually determines the size of the post-convention bounce in the polls. Donald Trump blew his speech at the Republican convention by rambling interminably. Kamala Harris isn’t likely to do that at the Democratic convention on Thursday. But to win the election she must successfully introduce herself to millions of Americans and stress themes that resonate. Here are four possibilities:

Opportunity: Harris will tell her life story — the child of a single mother, worked at McDonald’s — in the context of her offer to the American people of the same opportunities that she received. The slogan for this, which she road-tested in a speech last week, will be “The Opportunity Economy,” or perhaps some slight last-minute variation. This is a good frame for her policy ideas because it is self-explanatory and with enough repetition will signal to voters that she has a plan to help them get ahead in a challenging economy. By confronting the Democrats’ greatest vulnerability head-on, she can stay positive and forward-looking.

Responsibility: Americans like freebies for themselves but not for other people, a point that Democrats often fail to understand. The party remains vulnerable to the charge that it believes in equality of results as well as of opportunity. So if she’s smart, Harris will talk about the responsibilities of citizenship — for service and community-building — that come along with opportunities. This also would let her segue into a stinging critique of irresponsible Republicans.

Accountability: One of Harris’s biggest assets is her history as a prosecutor, which she will stress, with details of how she took down drug gangs, fraudsters and other bad guys. Holding Trump accountable for his crimes, his cruelty and his incompetence will be a memorable part of the speech, even if subordinate to more positive and visionary appeals. To appeal to the moderates and independents that she needs, Harris should also say that even the most well-intentioned government programs sometimes fail. By all accounts, her governing style is to ask hard questions and demand better performance. She should tell the voters about that.

Toughness: Americans need to know that their leaders can stand up to bullies and aggressors abroad as well as at home. Harris has a threshold of presidential toughness to cross before she will be trusted with the management of national security. She should stress the dangers posed by Russia, China and Iran, and match her humanitarian concerns in Gaza with stalwart support for NATO and our other allies, including Israel.

There’s every reason to believe we will hear these themes and more in what promises to be a pivotal address.