What voters are saying about Harris' policy proposals ahead of the Democratic convention

To win the presidential election, Vice President Kamala Harris will need two key constituencies to show up in swing states across the country: Black voters and young voters. Laura Barrón-López joins Geoff Bennett to discuss.

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Geoff Bennett: Democrats have greeted the Harris nomination with a lot of enthusiasm. What are those voters telling you about how they feel about the policies she’s put forward so far?

Laura Barron-Lopez: Geoff, Harris and her running mate have really leaned into their middle-class credentials. And Harris has recently been highlighting the fact that she worked at McDonald’s during college in both a campaign ad and on the trail, and Tim Walz has gone after J.D. Vance and President — former President Trump for their Ivy League background.

And that — Stephanie Hart, that bakery business owner that I spoke to here in Chicago, specifically mentioned Harris coming from the middle class is something that really resonates with her. Other voters said that as well. Stephanie Hart employs more than 40 people, many of them women with children and she said that she really likes Kamala Harris’ childcare proposals.

And just this past week, Harris unveiled more proposals on that, saying that she wants to expand the child tax credit to some $6,000 for parents with newborn children, as well as $3,600 for parents the rest of their children’s upbringing.

Geoff Bennett: Well, let’s shift our focus to tonight. You have spent the last few hours here inside this arena speaking to delegates. Give us a sense of the mood, Laura.

Laura Barron-Lopez: There’s a palpable excitement here, Geoff.

And in many ways, right now inside of the arena, despite what we know what’s happening on outside, this is a celebration of the Harris/Walz ticket, because they have already been formally nominated and clinched the nomination.

Geoff Bennett: You have also been speaking to those uncommitted delegates. These are Democrats who cast their vote in protest of the Democrats’ pro-Israel policies. What have they been telling?

Laura Barron-Lopez: So there are some 30 uncommitted delegates here, Geoff, and the uncommitted movement held a press conference this morning where they said that they are happy that Harris, they believe, is more empathetic to their cause, but they are waiting for a clear policy change.

Specifically, they want to see an arms embargo and an immediate cease-fire. Now, Kamala Harris has said that she is working towards a cease-fire with President Joe Biden, and the administration believes that they’re close. But we also spoke to an uncommitted delegate in Michigan, and he said that they are still waiting to hear from the DNC on whether or not they will be able to have a Palestinian-American speak on the main stage this week.

That is still an outstanding ask, and they warned that they believe that if Kamala Harris doesn’t speak directly to them and if her policies don’t change, that she could lose the 100,000 voters in Michigan who voted uncommitted during the primary.

Geoff Bennett: And, lastly, Laura, what can we expect tonight as this convention gets under way day one?

Laura Barron-Lopez: We’re going to be hearing from — from some big names tonight in Democratic politics, Geoff, House Democrats like Jim Clyburn, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Jamie Raskin.

We’re also going to be hearing from first lady Jill Biden, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. And, of course, tonight, the big keynote address is coming from President Joe Biden himself, and he’s going to be introduced by his daughter Ashley.

And this is a marking of his legacy, Geoff, very different than what the president initially expected, but tonight is going to be honoring his legacy and also a passing of the torch from him to Kamala Harris.

Geoff Bennett: Laura Barron-Lopez.

Laura, thanks, as always.

Laura Barron-Lopez: Thank you.