Joe Biden is out; Kamala Harris is in. The vice president is now the front-running Democrat battling GOP nominee Donald Trump for the White House this November.
After Biden’s sudden abdication, many are excited about the new candidate.
In addition to diverse support for the nascent Harris campaign, a group of “White Dudes for Harris” assembled in a live video call to support the newcomer to this year’s election cycle. The meeting was described by some as a “sea of beige.”
The event faced some headwinds, with many detractors wondering about the messaging and optics of the meeting.
Even the planner of the call, Ross Morales Rocketto, reportedly said he felt at one point like the project could be a bad idea, noting: “Throughout American history, when white men have organized, it was often with pointy hats on.”
Some criticized the event as an example of the broader tone-deafness of certain “liberal” groups who might be unaware of how out of touch their messaging might come across, which could be seen as condescending, patronizing, or just strange.
But the gamble paid off. Literally. The event raised a total of around $4 million for the Harris campaign. Harris was already basking in a record-breaking campaign funding raise, with donors sending over $100 million dollars within 36 hours of her entry into the presidential race.
“White Dudes” wasn’t the only identitarian group of its kind rallying around the new candidate: Other particular segments of support for Harris have included various collections of backers of different ethnicities, and even a group of “crazy cat ladies” united in their zeal for the campaign.
The event also featured the attendance of some stars like J. J. Abrams, famous as the executive director of the hit show “Lost” and other various big names pledging support for the Harris presidency.
Even “the Dude” showed up, albeit without his bathrobe: Jeff Bridges, of the Coen brothers’ iconic film ‘The Big Lebowski’, was also present.
“I’m The Dude, and I’m for Harris,” he reportedly said.
One of the strangest outcomes was a brief suspension of the group’s account on X, formerly Twitter, which led some to question the possible involvement of the platform’s billionaire CEO, Elon Musk.
Musk has been vocal about his support for Harris’s competitor Donald Trump.
All in all, with the funds raised and news of the gathering going viral on the Internet, many viewed the group’s creation as a new positive for the campaign.
