Project 2025 < Project Coconut
I love it here.
A new timeline just dropped, and let me tell you, the vibe shift is real.
Last night, in a speech marked by grace, President Biden announced his decision to bow out of the race, opening the door to new possibilities. He emphasized moving away from authoritarianism, contrasting Trump's self-serving version of masculinity with one centered on service and integrity. Biden's exit offered a renewed vision for democracy, where leaders prioritize the people over personal ambition, reaffirming the core values of integrity and public service. Biden is far from perfect, but the speech cemented his legacy as the transitional figure he promised to be.
The Harris tour on the other hand, fresh on the scene for only 72 hours, is already infiltrating our feeds with legendary memes, quirky TikTok dances, and inside jokes between Kamala Harris and Gen Z that Fox News is trying—and failing—to decode. Harris's most underrated talent as a politician is that she’s been serving up the memes since day one. Whether it’s “We Did It, Joe” or the coconut tree continuum, her knack for being unintentionally quirky is hitting the sweet spot with a generation that just days ago was ready to ghost the election entirely. “I wasn’t voting before; now I am,” one young voter confessed to The Guardian. “I haven’t felt hope like this since 2008,” another person dm’ed me, sharing this newfound optimism.
This wave of enthusiasm isn’t just bubbling beneath the surface of the internet; it’s taking the streets by storm. In just three days, Harris’s campaign raked in a jaw-dropping $126 million—blowing past every man who ever ran for the highest office and effectively banishing the “bUt iS a wOmAn eLEcTabLe?!?!” mantra that has haunted every woman daring enough to approach the presidency. More than two-thirds of donors contributed for the very first time. Talk about a glow-up!
Meanwhile, Trump has lost his thunder (as we predicted) and the contrast between his dark vision for America and Harris’ goofy forward-looking perspective couldn’t be more obvious. If it’s a choice between Project 2025 and the coconut, a lot of people are picking the coconut.
Young people are especially energized. In the 48 hours after Harris was endorsed, more than 40,000 people registered to vote and 83% of those new voters were under 35. This beat the record held by our Lord Savior Taylor Swift when she urged her followers to register to vote last year.
A surge of people also signed up to volunteer for Harris in battleground states. More than 28 000 people signed up to volunteer just on Sunday. That’s 100 times more volunteers than were typically registered on your average day. Sure, a lot of donors wanted to see Biden drop out, but evidently, a lot of voters did too. And their enthusiasm is undeniable.
The grass-roots organizing was also extraordinary and swift, with 44 000 Black women hopping on a single zoom and raising 1.6 million for Harris, a mere few hours after Biden stepped down. Shortly after, 53,000 Black men joined another virtual event to raise over $1.3 million. Now, white women are trying to create a similar fundraising push planned for today July 25th at 8:30ET. You can register and join here.
But while the jubilation is palpable, not everyone is on the Kamala Harris train. Barstool Sports Founder Dave Portnoy (accused of sexual misconduct and a fan of dating women half his age) blasted Democrats while shirtless and wearing a captain hat, claiming Harris was hand-picked by the elite. Some progressives grumble that “she can’t win” or isn’t progressive enough, critiquing her stance on Israel or her past as a prosecutor. Ironically, in an election where our first felon is running, many now see her prosecutorial background as a plus.
While I personally think the stakes are too high to sit this one out, I respect those who feel the way. If you can’t get yourself to vote for Harris and you want to spoil your ballot, I still love you. I get your rage and disappointment, I’ve certainly felt it when those who should protect us have let us down. But this respect goes both ways. If you expect your feelings of frustration to be received, you must honor others’ excitement and enthusiasm, even if you don’t share it. If your feelings are valid, then so are everyone else’s. Yelling at our brothers and sisters just gives the other side more ammo to drive wedges between us, weakening our push for progress. We’ve been through a lot—like, A LOT—lately. Let’s not make it harder by being hard on each other.
That said, voting is like house hunting: if you’re searching for perfection, you’ll end up without a place to live. The house might have questionable taste in décor or skeletons in its closet, but you choose the best option, not the flawless one. Politicians, like houses, have plenty of room for improvement. Voting for someone doesn’t mean you’re endorsing their every move. As my friend Paola Mendoza wisely said on Sunday, no politician is a hero and that’s not what we should be expecting them to be.
I’ve been disappointed by every person I’ve ever voted for (and loved, for that matter), but accepting that has helped me make better decisions and stay engaged in the human project, even when things don’t go my way. We've hit rock bottom so many times lately, it’s starting to feel like a trampoline. But these lows are growth opportunities for a stronger, more united progressive movement. We’ve been tested and will be again. Putting our movement above our egos, like Biden did by stepping down out of this race despite wanting to stay in it, will get us closer to where we need to be. We can’t get out of this mess without some amount of compromise.
There’s so much more to say, but I want to hear from you before I go on. How have the last few days felt for you? Leave a comment with the emotion you’re feeling right now so we can create a space to listen and hear each other out. And thanks for being here. I’m so glad you’re here.
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Liz-
I am feeling hopeful for the first time in awhile. I've been so discouraged by the media's pandering to Donald Trump as though they wanted to help him win, which would upend our lives. I am volunteering for VP Harris' campaign, and I am all in! Let's do this!
I feel really good and excited, despite myself. My initial reactions on Sunday were decidedly negative - "where has she been?" "She's a cop!" "America won't elect a black woman!" "She doesn't unify the left like Obama did!" (these are all texts I actually sent) and now I'm thoroughly eating my words, and all of my concerns have been addressed by the smart people I follow (like you!). I just subscribed to this substack and I'm excited. So, thank you! And LFG!