Dem Rep. Ilhan Omar blasted the decision by the Kamala Harris campaign to tap Liz Cheney as a surrogate as a “huge misstep.”
Rep. Omar said, “It does say something about where your priorities are even if those are not your priorities.”
Asked if the Democratic ticket did enough to court progressives, she said that more outreach, more policy signals and more understanding of progressive priorities “would be helpful in us winning.” The Harris-Walz campaign could have listened more to the Democratic base and may have tried too hard to reach Republican-leaning voters by tapping surrogates like former Rep. Liz Cheney, a Republican who has vocally opposed Trump, in states like Wisconsin and Michigan.
Omar called that “a huge misstep,” especially in Michigan, the home of the Uncommitted Movement, a group that emerged during the presidential primary to pressure Democrats to end the war. Omar joined them for a sit-in after DNC organizers refused to let a Palestinian speak on the convention stage.
The campaign’s association with Cheney, whose father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, heavily influential in the 2003 invasion of Iraq under President George W. Bush, sent the wrong message, she said.
“You have the one name for my generation and generations younger than me that is synonymous with war,” Omar said of Cheney. “It does say something about where your priorities are even if those are not your priorities.”
A poll found that Liz Cheney hurt the Harris campaign in key states.
A new poll conducted by Data for Progress showed that the former Republican representative’s decision to campaign with the Vice President in the days before the election in those two states actually decreased enthusiasm for her among key demographics.
“The Cheney endorsement made nearly 3-in-10 independent Pennsylvania voters less enthusiastic about Harris’ campaign,” the firm said.
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“Our polling finds that Pennsylvania Independents were 18 points more enthusiastic to vote for Harris when campaigning on economic issues, and 7 points less enthusiastic to vote for Harris when campaigning with Cheney, – a swing of 25 points. In Michigan, Independents were 11 points more enthusiastic to vote for Harris when campaigning on economic issues and 7 points less enthusiastic when campaigning with Cheney — a swing of 18 points. In both states, 70% of voters said Harris campaigning with Cheney either had no impact on their enthusiasm or made them less enthusiastic,” the polling firm said.
“By wide margins, Pennsylvania and Michigan Independents and Republicans — the audience Harris was looking to win over — said the economy was their top issue when voting. This finding emphasizes why diverting resources to campaigning with Cheney in the final days, instead of doubling down on Harris’ messaging regarding popular economic issues, may have decreased enthusiasm for Harris among key voters,” it said.
