ATLANTA 鈥� Brian Ramirez is voting for Vice President Harris 鈥� even canvassing for her. But he鈥檚 not loving what she鈥檚 been saying as she tries to persuade in the final days of the campaign.
Harris has been courting voters to try to win tight races in swing states by appealing to their concerns about former President Donald Trump.
But the strategy has dampened enthusiasm among some progressives, who feel she鈥檚 tacked too far right.
鈥淚t just hurts, when she says, 鈥業鈥檒l have Republicans in my cabinet鈥� or she鈥檚 campaigning with ,鈥� said Ramirez, who works with the Georgia Youth Justice Coalition, and was part of a small group of grassroots organizers that NPR convened last week.
鈥淲hen she speaks on the , she speaks a lot on drugs, crime 鈥� that kind of thing 鈥� when it鈥檚 much more than that,鈥� said Ramirez, who previously was undocumented.
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They鈥檙e still voting for her, but they鈥檙e not feeling great about it
In the homestretch of the campaign, Harris has leaned hard into describing the former president as a , echoing Trump鈥檚 former chief of staff who described him as fascist.
Progressives also think Trump is dangerous, said Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of Our Revolution, a group that grew out of Sen. Bernie Sanders鈥� 2016 campaign. But he doesn鈥檛 think that argument alone is enough to seal the deal. He鈥檚 worried that some progressives won鈥檛 vote at all, or are considering , he said.
Geevarghese said he wishes Harris was leaning harder into addressing kitchen table issues to appeal to working class voters as her closing argument.
鈥淭he question is 鈥� which candidate is going to improve my standard of living? Which candidate is going to give me a better shot of living the American dream?鈥� he said.
鈥淚t's important to remember Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016 by running as a working class champion. He promised more jobs, better wages.鈥�
The Harris campaign has taken issue with some of this criticism, pointing to efforts to reach all kinds of undecided or wavering voters 鈥� even as it courts moderate Republicans and independents.
This includes an interview the vice president did with , stops with former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, and events with union workers in Blue Wall states. The campaign has run ads on corporate price gouging and campaigned on the promise to remove college degree requirements for some federal jobs.
The war in Gaza has been a big issue for progressives
In May, NPR of activists in Atlanta 鈥� a group who helped organize and campaign for Democrats in 2020 in Georgia, a state the party won by a very slim margin.
At that time, they were frustrated with President Biden鈥檚 support for Israel and the large number of civilian deaths in Gaza, and they had broad reservations about Biden鈥檚 reelection bid.
Adrian Consonery, Jr. didn鈥檛 feel comfortable voting for Biden. He said he鈥檚 still upset by the images of suffering in Gaza that he sees on social media, but he feels more optimistic for change with Harris.
鈥淚 wanted the Democratic party to earn my vote,鈥� he said. 鈥淎t this current juncture 鈥� they鈥檙e doing a way better job than what they were.鈥�
Some of the activists said they feel like Harris might be more willing to listen to different, younger perspectives. But they don鈥檛 like her for Israel as it wages war in Gaza and now Lebanon.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not like I鈥檓 so gung-ho,鈥� Weonhee Shin said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 even have a sign in front of my house, because I鈥檓 not super excited. But it鈥檚 better than Trump.鈥�
Shin, who works with the Asian American community, hasn鈥檛 been able to bring herself to go door-knocking for Harris. 鈥淚f I鈥檓 having a hard time, how can I convince others to do so? It just feels very disingenuous,鈥� she said.
Marisa Pyle described her vote for Harris as 鈥渉arm mitigation.鈥�
鈥淭he reality is one of these two people is going to be president, and I would like the one who鈥檚 not going to do fascism,鈥� she said.
Harris introduced a new message for young voters into her stump speech
On Saturday, former first lady Michelle Obama used her in Kalamazoo, Mich., to express frustration with would-be Democratic voters who are holding back on support.
鈥淚 recognize that there are a lot of angry, disillusioned people out there, upset with the slow pace of change,鈥� Obama said.
鈥淏ut to anyone out there thinking about sitting out this election or voting for Donald Trump or a third-party candidate in protest because you're fed up 鈥� let me warn you your rage does not exist in a vacuum,鈥� she said, specifically warning about the risk of further restrictions to reproductive care if Trump wins.
This week, Harris added a new line to her stump speech at massive rallies she held in Atlanta and , and again in Kalamazoo with Obama 鈥� a line aimed directly at young voters who feel strongly about climate change and gun violence prevention, but who are disillusioned with politics.
鈥淚 see you. I see you,鈥� she said. 鈥淚've seen what you do, and I see how you are doing it, because you are rightly impatient for change.鈥�
That鈥檚 a sentiment that Rev. Gerald Durley, 82, shares when he talks to voters across Georgia, as he works to get out the vote for Harris 鈥� that change takes time.
鈥淭his is what I say to young people,鈥� the civil rights leader said, showing off a black t-shirt he had custom made, emblazoned with the words: 鈥淚f I can, you can.鈥�
鈥淚f I can vote for 65 years 鈥� you can vote for 15 more days. If I can stay in the movement for 65 years 鈥� you can,鈥� he said.
NPR's contributed to this story.
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