Harris rally in Atlanta brings out thousands of supporters on little notice

Kamala Harris struck a contrast between her work as a prosecutor and a Donald Trump campaign "obsessed with revenge and consumed with grievance" on Saturday in Atlanta, three days before election day.

"In less than 90 days it's either going to be him or me in the Oval Office," Harris said.

Harris filled the fields at the Atlanta Civic Center, attracting a crowd of thousands on little notice in the crucial swing state of Georgia which Joe Biden won in 2020 but Trump is trying to return to the Republican fold.

The Democrat struck familiar themes, discussing her intent to cut taxes for middle-class households and small business owners, the "Trump abortion ban" in many southern states, and support for parents caring for small children and other family members. She pledged to sign a law restoring protection for reproductive rights that were lost in the reversal of Roe v Wade by the US supreme court.

Harris once again said: "I believe health care should be a right and not just a privilege for who can afford it."

She also took issue with Trump's recent comments targeting political enemies. "I don't believe that people who disagree with me are the enemy. He wants to put them in jail. I will give them a seat at the table. That's what real leaders do. That's what strong leaders do," she said.

Spike Lee, a Morehouse College graduate and leading light in Atlanta's entertainment firmament, opened the rally and Atlanta performing artists 2 Chainz, Monica, Victoria Monét and Pastor Troy appeared as a warmup act to Harris.

"I think the people who need to be encouraged the most aren't at this rally right now," Monét said. "Convince them. Drag them ... Trust me, it's more fun when you bring your homies along."

Steven Walton, an attorney from Athens, Georgia, who is in no way a political operative, nevertheless has a spreadsheet at home modeling early voting turnout against historical results, trying to get a sense of what will happen here on Tuesday.

At the Harris rally in Atlanta, he said he was confident. "In terms of intensity and turnout, absolutely. I mean, trend lines are right where we needed to be. The election is already over, in my opinion."

Of course, the election is far from over.

A bit more than 4 million Georgia voters have cast ballots early this year. But the early voting advantages Democrats enjoyed in 2020 appear to be gone. Donald Trump's campaign has encouraged his supporters to vote early, and they have responded. Early vote turnout is more or less even in both rural and urban Georgia ahead of election day.

The prospect of a return of Trump to the White House provokes anxiety for Harris supporters.

"I don't want a repeat of 2016," said Marshall Moore, a fantasy novelist from midtown Atlanta. "It was a gut punch ... A lot of very vulnerable people will be directly impacted negatively by the outcome, and, you know, possibly the last election and end of the American experiment in democracy."

Both Trump and Harris are scrambling with three days to go, looking for the remaining voters left to convince. Except, experts might ask: who is still convincible at this point?

Tristan Harvin had to think about it a bit before voting last week, he said. At the Harris rally, he said it came down to fundamental values.

"I mean, of course, being a man of color, you know, making sure that there's equity in laws and opportunities," he said. "Healthcare, even things like abortion rights for my wife and other women. I have sisters. I have mothers. I have friends, Just making sure that people have a fair shot in the world."

Climate change, women's health and defending democracy drove Megan McElroy to vote for Harris, she said. But the way her campaign has spoken about economic issues is also important to her.

"I'm an accountant, but I think Kamala is better for the economy," McElroy said. "The tariffs that Trump is suggesting – that's not going to go well for us. I don't think the economy is the No 1 driver for me, but I think on all accounts, Kamala is the better choice."

Mary Garrett, an Atlantan at the Harris rally, could not name one friend, family member or acquaintance who was still on the fence. Almost everyone she knows voted for Harris. She finds the closeness of the race exasperating.

"Why is it like this?" she asked.