With just 10 days left in the election, Kamala Harris and Michelle Obama urged voters to consider the impact of women’s rights as they head to the polls.

Photo via Reuters

ANDREA SMITH: Kamala Harris and Michelle Obama addressed thousands in Kalamazoo on Saturday evening, marking Obama’s first appearance on the campaign trail since Harris was nominated for the Democratic ticket. She focused heavily on reproductive rights and women’s health care, emphasizing that these issues affect everyone.

“To all the men in the room, I plead for you to take our lives seriously,” Obama said.

She vividly illustrated the potential consequences of undermining women’s rights under a Trump administration, recounting a harrowing scenario: “If your wife is shivering and bleeding on the operating room table during a routine delivery gone wrong, as her blood pressure drops and doctors are uncertain about their next steps, you will be the one praying it’s not too late.” Obama also highlighted potential restrictions on IVF treatments, the dangers of miscarrying in states with abortion bans, and “the devastating consequences of teen pregnancy.”

“Your daughter could be the one too terrified to call the doctor if she’s bleeding during an unexpected pregnancy. Your niece could be the one miscarrying in her bathtub after the hospital turned her away,” she said.

In her closing remarks to the men present, Obama posed a poignant question: “If we don’t get this election right, your wife, your daughter, your mother—women will become collateral damage to your rage. Are you prepared to look into the eyes of the women and children you love and tell them you supported this assault on our safety?”

Kalamazoo played a pivotal role in Biden’s victory in 2020, swinging nearly 20 points against Trump. Harris’s campaign aims to replicate that high turnout as a crucial strategy for winning Michigan. With abortion rights emerging as a key issue for many voters nationwide—contributing to record Democratic turnout in 2022—the effectiveness of this strategy remains to be seen.

An NBC poll from October shows a gender gap in support for Harris and Trump, with women favoring Harris by a 14-point margin and men supporting Trump by 16 points. The Harris campaign is focused on engaging men, particularly in light of Obama’s remarks.

Another focus of the night was Generation Z, a demographic Democrats are increasingly concerned about. In 2022, Michigan had the highest rate of Gen Z voters, with 37.6% participating. In a race that could come down to a few thousand votes, Gen Z's engagement could prove decisive.

Harris paused during her speech to ask Gen Zers and first-time voters to cheer, acknowledging their “impatience” for change. “I want to tell you that I see you and I see your power,” she said.

The Uncommitted Movement has garnered significant support among Gen Z, particularly due to dissatisfaction with Biden’s handling of the Gaza conflict. The movement's influence on turnout in Michigan remains uncertain.

During the rally, a couple of attendees disrupted Harris’s speech by chanting “No more Gaza war!” She responded by stating that the war needed to end but did not address the topic further.

Michelle Obama also spoke to voters considering not voting as a form of protest, indirectly addressing those frustrated by the Israel-Palestine conflict: “But to anyone out there thinking about sitting out this election or voting for Donald Trump or a third-party candidate in protest because you’re fed up, let me warn you: Your rage does not exist in a vacuum.”

Junie Wilson, a disabled veteran from Kalamazoo, told me the rally “gave her hope.” “We cannot go back to a Trump presidency. I am calling every person I know to vote for Kamala, especially young people—because I care about their freedom,” she added.

Kamala Harris will be in Ann Arbor, Michigan on Monday in an effort to rally Gen Z voters in the final days leading up to the election.

Andrea Smith is a staff writer from Orange County, California. She is a senior in the College majoring in Government with a double minor in Journalism and Spanish, and a concentration in International Relations.