Before Kamala Harris entered the 2024 race for president, 20-year-old Luke McCarthy had planned to reluctantly vote for Joe Biden, and 20-year-old Noah Walsh planned to vote for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
How things have changed in just a few short months.
Walsh and McCarthy, Cape Cod residents who have been friends since childhood, discussed the impact of Harris’ candidacy in the latest edition of the GBH News series “Politics IRL.”
“I’d say among our generation, there has been a revitalization of energy because I don’t think a single person our age was like 'Go Joe!’ McCarthy said.
Walsh said of Harris, “She’s definitely a lot better than Joe. She’s high energy. I like that.”
The two noted Biden’s age and stance on the Israel-Hamas war as downfalls to his campaign, especially among young voters.
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McCarthy said of Harris, “She’s much more personable, she’s better at speaking, her policies are similar but maybe slightly more progressive.”
Walsh said Harris’ pick of Tim Walz as her running mate locked in his vote.
“Honestly I know more about Tim than Kamala,” Walsh said, noting Walz’s efforts as governor to provide free school lunches and menstrual products to students.
The two worried that Gen Z voter turnout won’t be very high, but said the direction of the election has changed significantly, generating more energy and enthusiasm thanks to the new candidate.
Politics IRL is a project supported by America Amplified, working with public media stations across the country to expand the use of journalism practices that meaningfully address local information needs through active listening and engagement, especially in communities that have been traditionally underserved by public media.
