"SAY IT TO MY FACE!"

And with one iconic line, Kamala Harris threw down the gauntlet and told the world she will challenge, bait, mock, prosecute, and defeat Trump by rallying a multiracial coalition forward to victory.

“Say it to my face!”

Put that on a poster, a T-shirt, a mug, a bumper sticker, a hat, and let’s roll out and fly the K-Hive to victory in November.

I felt compelled to write some words after watching the electric Atlanta, Georgia rally for Kamala Harris. It was the complete opposite experience of a MAGA and Trump rally. This was that neighborhood block party with better music and tastier food, where people feel comfortable to bring their families, friends, and kids to dance and have a great time. A Trump rally is like Festivus on cocaine but without laughter and fun.

Over at the Harris rally, there was diversity, excitement, joy and palpable energy. It reminded me of the 2008 Obama-era vibes, something we haven’t experienced in 16 years. But this time the stakes are much higher. Back then we didn’t have Trump, a violent insurrection, a thoroughly compromised and partisan rogue Supreme Court, Project 2025, and women’s rights at risk of going back to the 19th century.

We’ve had our moments of collective dread, fear and despair. These are perfectly rational emotions in the face of a right-wing assault on our democracy and freedoms. We’ve tried to sound the alarm. We’ve tried to warn about the threats of fascism. Doom and gloom have permeated the air and choked some of us of our ability to hope and dream.

(Associated Press)

However, the Harris campaign and the Atlanta rally also showed that love and enthusiasm are even more powerful and contagious forces that can mobilize a grassroots majority. It’s like the ending of the movie Monsters, Inc. (Spoiler Alert!) where the monsters discover children’s laughter is actually a much more sustainable energy source for their universe instead of their tears and screams.

You can fight with a smile and be a joyful warrior. Those are the vibes I got from the Harris rally tonight. The perfect encapsalation of that mood was when VP Harris was talking about Donald Trump’s cowardice in ditching the September debate but his insistence on still talking mad smack about her behind her back. (She said it more diplomatically but that’s what she was saying.) Then, she looked right at the camera with a smile on her face and dropped a verbal nuclear bomb. She directly challenged and baited Donald with the insant classic line: “If you got something to say, say it to my face!”

Ordinarily, when a woman says this, the hoops and heels immediately come off, and people have to hold her back. However, Kamala said it with a laugh which made it even more powerful. This foolish vulgarian and convicted criminal isn’t worth a drop of sweat or a curse word. He’s a weird clown who deserves to be dressed down without ruining the rest of your day.

It was perfect.

Friends, you know I don’t adulate or worship celebrities or politicians. They are not my kings or queens. They are servants of the people, tools who should be used to do the maximum amount of good. But, it’s been a damn long time since I’ve felt real momentum to take on and defeat Trump and his MAGA cult. It’s OK to enjoy this moment, harness the energy, and use it as fuel for the long fight.

The messaging was also on point. Harris went on offense. (Thank you, Democrats! Finally!) It was prosecutor vs. predator. A symbol of the future vs. a symbol of a hateful past. She made the clear, logical case of how Democrats are the best party to protect our security, our democracy, and our freedoms. She didn’t shy away from immigration but took it head on, and she mentioned Project 2025 and Donald’s attacks on women. Like I’ve been saying, it has to be non-stop offense from here on out. Not a single inch should be given, and Harris conceded nothing.

There was also Megan Thee Stallion, Quavo, a white dude who knew the lyrics to “They Not Like Us,” and a multiracial coalition that packed the auditorium to lift up the first Black Indian woman to the Oval Office.

Keep this energy in my veins until November and beyond.