Kamala Harris and big name supporters rally in Georgia but is she reaching enough black men?

ITV News US Correspondent Dan Rivers reports from the pivotal state of Georgia as Kamala Harris tries to win the key votes she needs to secure the White House

Words by US Correspondent Dan Rivers and Washington News Editor Jonathan Wald

Kamala Harris knows Georgia could be critical in securing a path to the White House.

That’s why she has repeatedly come back to the so-called Peach State, to hammer home her message.

Last night it was the turn of Clarkston, a small town around 20 miles east of Atlanta, to play host to the huge security and logistical operation that descended on one of their American football stadiums.

What was striking even before we had been allowed in, was how many women were there.

That may not be surprising as America contemplates electing its first female President.

The Democrats said 20,000 people attended the rally. Credit: AP

But what might worry the Harris campaign is the lower numbers of young black men, a demographic with which Donald Trump has made small but significant in-roads.

It was telling that the line-up before she took to the stage included, actor Samuel L. Jackson, director Spike Lee and producer/actor Tyler Perry.

They were all here to deliver a message to get the vote out; a message the Harris campaign is attempting to send to young black men across the state.

This was the first time since she began her run for President three months ago, that she had shared a stage with former President Barack Obama, who also used his moment on stage to emphasise the dangers posed by Donald Trump.

Samuel L. Jackson was among the celebrities to campaign with Kamala Harris in Georgia. Credit: AP

According to estimates, including those given by the Harris Campaign, more than 20,000 attended her rally, which would make it her largest ever.

Her previous record was in Greensboro, North Carolina in mid-September where around 17,000 reportedly turned out.

Despite the dancing and carnival atmosphere, there were some worrying signs for her.

When Obama spoke the crowd was captivated. When Harris spoke a few people started leaving and some of those gathered sat impassively, looking bored or scrolling on their phones.

But more concerning was the age profile and make-up of this crowd.

The young black men she needed to shore up her base weren’t here in large numbers.

Kamala Harris needs to win over male black voters. Credit: AP

Obama’s attack on Trump claiming he had confected a photo op in a McDonald’s drive-through, while Harris had worked in one to pay her way through college might have been designed to highlight her modest upbringing when compared to the billionaire son of a millionaire, but for some, those images of Trump serving fries struck a chord.

I met Mike Parker in a McDonalds near the arena the next day and he felt Trump’s stint in the Golden Arches showed he was more in touch with his generation than Harris could ever be.

Mike is young, black and a fan of Trump. Nothing he’d seen of Harris’ campaign has so far dissuaded him from voting for Trump.

Based partly on Trump's record on the economy, but also partly because Harris’ message just hasn’t resonated with him.

It goes to the core of one of her biggest electoral challenges: overcoming sceptical young black men who don’t feel motivated to vote for her or who feel they’d be better off under Donald Trump.

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