Photograph: Contributed

Robert Reich

I don’t know about you, but I’m more worried about the results of the upcoming elections. I’m still sickeningly optimistic, but my nausea is increasing.

I’m as skeptical of the polls as you are, but when they all show the same thing — Kamala Harris’ campaign stalled a few weeks ago, but Trump’s campaign continues to surge — it’s important to take the polls seriously.

Harris will give her closing message to the American people at the rally to be held tomorrow at the National Mall Ellipse in Washington.

The last few weeks have focused on Trump’s threats to women’s rights over their bodies and the rights of all Americans to democracy.

But tomorrow night, he must respond forcefully to the issue most on most Americans’ minds: the economy.

He needs to tell Americans simply and clearly why they continue to have such difficult times, even though all official economic indicators point to the contrary: It’s because of the power of big corporations and a handful of wealthy individuals to siphon off most of the economic gains for themselves.

Most Americans are angry that billionaires continue to struggle economically while amassing more and more wealth. Most of them know that they pay too much for housing, gas, food, and the medications they need. They also know that the market power of large companies is an important reason.

They want someone who can stand up to big corporations and the politicians who serve them in Washington.

They want a president who will be with them. A president who will end price gouging, break up monopolies and restore competition, fight to contain prescription drug costs, make big money in politics and stop legal bribery that rigs the market for the rich, and make corporations pay their fair share and end tax breaks for billionaire scammers. Who will ensure it?

A president who will put working families ahead of big corporations and the wealthy.

Harris needs to say she will be this president.

Policy recommendations also support this. Committed to strong antitrust enforcement; cracking down on mergers and acquisitions that give major food companies the power to raise food and grocery prices, investigating price fixing, and banning price gouging. He needs to remind voters of this.

He also says he would raise taxes on the wealthy, provide $25,000 in down payment assistance to help Americans buy their first home, restore the Expanded Child Tax Credit to $3,600 to help more than 100 million working Americans, and impose a new $6,000 tax. The deductions are made to help families cover the high expenses of the child’s first year of life.

Tomorrow’s speech should include everything about why he will be the champion of working people.

He wants to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, make stock buybacks more expensive and expand Medicare to cover home health care paid for by savings from expanding Medicare price negotiations with drug manufacturers.

He needs to frame all of this as a response to the power of big corporations and the rich, and make it clear that he is on the side of the people, not the powerful.

If he fails to do so in his closing statement, Trump’s demagogic response will be the only response the public will hear: that average working people are struggling because of undocumented workers and Democrats, socialists, Marxists and the “enemy within.” deep state.”

Harris should embed her message about democracy within this economic message. If our democracy were not dominated by the rich and big corporations, less of the economy’s gains would be transferred to them. Average working people will have better-paying and more secure jobs and will be able to afford housing, food, fuel, medicine, child care and elder care.

A large portion of the public no longer thinks American democracy works. Only 45% believe our democracy does a good job of representing ordinary people, according to a new New York Times/Siena College poll. A surprising 62% say the government works mostly for itself and elites rather than for the public good.

In her closing remarks, Harris must commit herself to turning this situation around so that government works for the public good.

Harris began her campaign in July and early August by emphasizing these themes related to the economy and democracy.

But in recent weeks he has mostly focused on Trump’s particular threat to democracy. His campaign appears to have decided he can attract more voters from moderate Republican suburban women upset by Trump’s role in inciting the attack on the U.S. Capitol.

That’s why he’s campaigning with Liz Cheney and rallying Republican officials as supporters. And why he chose to deliver his closing message at the Ellipse, where Trump called for a march to the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

But Harris’ campaign stalled when she shifted gears from the economy to Trump’s attacks on democracy. I think this is because Americans continue to focus on the economy and want an answer to why they are still suffering economically.

If Trump gives them an answer – even if it is baseless and demagogic – but Harris does not, he can sail to victory on November 5.

So in his closing message, he needs to talk openly and candidly about the misdistribution of economic power in America—in the hands of big corporations and the wealthy rather than average Americans—and his commitment to fixing it.

— Robert B. Reich is a columnist for Tribune Content Agency.