Kamala Harris rallied in Fayetteville. I was there. Days later, the election changed

When I graduated high school among some 360+ Westover Wolverines — released to much acclaim upon the world — the vice president was Dan Quayle.

I did not have many thoughts on Quayle, even though I liked politics from a young age. This was still years before he misspelled “potato” on live TV, in a sixth-grade classroom, no less. It’s a word I am confident all, or nearly all, of my fellow “west side” graduates could have easily nailed.

I could not have imagined back then that my high school alma mater and the vice president of the country — Kamala Harris — would be in the same space. That was not on my Bingo card.

I certainly could not have guessed what would happen next. On Sunday, President Joe Biden announced he would end his reelection campaign and endorsed Harris for president. The Democratic Party, including all 168 of North Carolina's delegates, has consolidated around her, making her the likeliest candidate to head the Democratic ticket for the November presidential election.

Presidential campaigns come to Fayetteville

Calls from some within the Democratic Party for Biden to step aside began after his bad debate performance last month. Buzz had already long been building by Thursday that Harris would be the logical pick to replace him at the top of the ticket.

So that was one thing on my mind around noon on Thursday when I stood under a tent but still sweating outside my old high school — checking in at the media table to see Harris, who held a rally in the school's Gene Arrington Gymnasium. I grew up in the Foxfire subdivision right across Bonanza Drive.

I have covered many high-profile politicians in my long career at The Fayetteville Observer, from Presidents Barack Obama, Biden and Donald Trump, both Clintons and the late Sen. John McCain. We have Fort Liberty and our veteran community and North Carolina’s status as a swing state to thank for this pilgrimage made by so many politicians seeking top office.

But this hit differently. The Westover area is home.

Wolverine memories as the Kamala Harris rally fills up

I watched the gymnasium fill up with Biden-Harris supporters waving red, white and blue signs and remembered back to when the guys and I on the cross country and track teams ran line drills on that very gym floor when rainy weather canceled outdoor workouts. (We called them “suicides” back then before everyone knew better.) As I worked at the press table and listened to Harris' speech, my backdrop was huge letters spelling “WESTOVER.”

To complete the picture, the campaign playlist included '80s R&B tunes like Cheryl Lynn’s “Encore” and Maze’s “Before I Let Go” which first came out when I was growing up in the Foxfire neighborhood across the street, and is still in rotation at cookouts.

I saw other people with Wolverine connections, including state Sen. Val Applewhite, whose children graduated from Westover, and who would later speak; and Terry Johnson, a Westover alumnus and a past president of the Foxfire Homeowners Association.

In addition to Applewhite, the roster of others to speak in advance of Harris were Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin; and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, whose name is reportedly on the short list for vice presidential running mate for Harris since Biden's Sunday announcement.

Harris came on stage not long after 2 p.m. to wild applause. If her team members sought a receptive audience at Westover, they got one.

Harris goes after Republican opponents, Project 2025

The VP, decked out in a muted, tan pantsuit, talked about the perils of a second Trump presidency, as you might expect. She turned particular focus to the damage that could be brought by Project 2025, a policy guide of arch-conservative policies from the Heritage Foundation. Democrats believe Trump will use the plan as a guide for deep cuts in social programs like Obamacare and a total ban on abortion.

“Their plans are extreme, and they are divisive,” Harris said to hearty agreement from her fellow Democrats.

She said the Republicans have recently been trying to portray themselves as the party of unity. “But here’s the thing: If you claim to stand for unity, you need to do more than just use the word," she said.

This drew loud applause.

She said Project 2025, which runs 900 pages long, among other things calls for cutting Head Start, the federally funded nationwide pre-K education program for children under the age of 5. As a big believer in education that caught my attention.

Harris touted Biden administration accomplishments ranging from its investment of $16 billion in historically Black colleges and universities to its successful advocacy for the PACT Act, which helps military members exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange and other toxins while deployed near Iraqi burn pits — thought to be a factor in the death of Biden’s son, Beau.

The vice president said the election boils down to a single question.

“Who fights for you?” Harris asked.

'We're excited in Wolverine country'

The rally wrapped up quickly after Harris finished and people filed out past what, for me, were the familiar sights of the school office and trophy case, and stairs leading to the second-floor classrooms.

“We are so excited as usual here at Westover High School to always set the stage for our kids and for our community to know that we’re doing great things in Fayetteville and North Carolina,” said Dr. Vernon Lowery, principal, after the event. “It meant the world to us to be able to have awesome support from not just our vice president but just all of our elected officials and communities. We’re excited in Wolverine country.”

This graduate says they had every reason to be.

Opinion Editor Myron B. Pitts can be reached at mpitts@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3559.