By Mike Vallante and Hector Barajas
In the final days of this election, candidates must connect with voters on a deeply personal level. Focus on messages about the struggles everyday Americans face.
Kamala Harris has launched a new line of attack, framing Trump as tired and exhausted—another attempt to get under his skin.
While Kamala Harris may frame Trump as exhausted, the response needs to be that the real exhaustion lies with the American people—those who have worked tirelessly for the past four years with little to show for it.
Voters are feeling the strain: less money in their pockets, fewer groceries in their carts, and rising costs that make housing and safety feel like distant dreams.
Instead of getting caught in a back-and-forth about who is tired, the narrative should center on the experiences and challenges that Americans confront daily. It’s about their frustration with the rising cost of living, their anxiety over safety, and their sense of being overlooked while others receive preferential treatment.
Polling data from California to Pennsylvania reveals a common thread: people are exhausted.
They have less in their pockets, less in their grocery carts, and less in their gas tanks. They lack peace of mind, are worried about walking the streets safely, and fear they will get kicked out of their homes because of rising housing costs. They are tired of seeing news stories and social posts highlighting benefits for those here illegally while they struggle to make ends meet, and they’re fed up with what seems to be an endless cycle of retail theft, no bail, and lawlessness.
Candidates can resonate more powerfully with undecided voters by making the conversation about “us”—the hardworking, law-abiding Americans who deserve better. This isn’t about political theater; it’s about real lives, real struggles, and the hope for a brighter future.
In these closing days, anyone running for office should remain focused, speak to the heart of the electorate, and keep the messaging grounded in the everyday realities of the people they aim to serve.
