CAROLINE GRAHAM: My chat with a black woman Uber driver that revealed why Kamala’s path to the White House won’t be nearly as smooth as America’s liberal elite believe

Thousands of enthusiastic Democrats cheered on their political idols Barack and Michelle Obama and Bill and Hillary Clinton in what one tearful representative called “the ultimate political love fest.”

This pre-election orgy – also known as the Democratic National Convention – culminated in the official coronation of Kamala Harris as the candidate to take on Donald Trump in the US presidential election in November.

But on the streets of Chicago, America’s third-largest city, the mood was very different.

Uber driver Angela picked me up as the roaring cheers for Barack Obama’s speech were still ringing in my ears: “I know Kamala is riding a wave right now, but I’m still voting for Trump,” she said.

“For me it comes down to: Am I better off now than I was four years ago? The answer is no.

‘They can talk all they want about Kamala being a force for change and our hope for the future, and yet she’s been in power with Joe Biden for four years and she hasn’t made a difference.

“As a black woman, I know I need to vote for the first woman of color to run for president.

“But it comes down to who’s better for me, for my family’s future, and for the country. Trump is an alpha male. He puts America first, and we were better off under him. It’s that simple.”

This sentiment is shared by many “ordinary” Chicagoans and if their views are adopted across America, it could spell disaster for Harris.

In stores, restaurants, and my hotel, I kept running into working men and women who told me they were voting for Trump, but as one waitress told me, “they keep it a secret because he’s not considered cool and Kamala is.”

While there is palpable relief among Democrats that the weak Joe Biden has been replaced by a woman who radiates positivity, the battle for the White House is still neck and neck.

Chauncey McLean of Future Forward USA, a political action committee that has raised millions for Harris’ campaign, said, “The polls are a lot less rosy than people think.”

Crucially, social media has helped ignite Harris’ campaign among young voters. Tellingly, the 59-year-old Democratic nominee has yet to give an interview to a mainstream media outlet, but did give three interviews last week to TikTok influencers who were accused of asking “softball” questions about family and fashion.

One of these influencers is Ravayna Coe. She was invited by Harris’ team to spread the “message of joy” via Instagram. The Californian says: “There is relief that we finally have a candidate who is sending a positive message – and who can win.”

However, Ms Coe warned against complacency, saying lessons must be learned from Hillary Clinton’s defeat in 2016.

“Everyone thought she was going to win and Trump crushed her. We have 10 weeks until the election and the Democrats need to get off this sugar high of Kamala’s selection and get to work.”

Anthony, a Democratic convention security guard, told me, “I’m an undecided voter.” He voted for Trump in 2016 but switched to Biden in 2020. He deplored Trump’s support for the insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

He said he listened to the Obamas and TV star Oprah Winfrey’s speeches at the convention and they were all “obsessed” with Trump. “The message is, ‘Trump is bad; Kamala is good.’ They talk about ‘dark forces’ like it’s a superhero movie.

‘Most Americans vote with their wallets. None of us are better off; gas prices are ruining us, and Biden has allowed thousands of illegal immigrants to come across our border and take jobs from people like me.

‘I know what Trump is. You don’t have to tell me what’s wrong with him.

‘Kamala Harris has been vice president for four years and she says she’s going to make things better. Why hasn’t she done that yet?

‘Many people secretly support Trump, but are afraid to admit it.’

Polls show Harris gaining ground among middle-aged white women and first-time voters, but losing to Trump among working-class voters, particularly black and Latino voters (78).

Naturally, these issues could not dampen the exuberant atmosphere at the Democratic National Convention.

At a “Hotties for Harris” party, Gen Z influencers posed in front of a “Wall of Weirdos” featuring images of Trump and his running mate J.D. Vance. The “weird” description of Trump and Vance was coined by Harris’s No. 2, Tim Walz.

In one corner was a drab brown couch with the words “Property of JD Vance” on them, a reference to a false rumor that Trump’s vice presidential nominee had sex with a latex glove wedged between two couch cushions.

Model and influencer Synclaire Warren, 24, a master’s student at Fordham University in New York, said: ‘Kamala gave my generation hope that things can change. This wave of enthusiasm will continue to grow until the election.’

Moments after Harris concluded her keynote speech, Breanna Spaulding of Atlanta exclaimed, “She is America’s future. This is Obama all over again.”

Seeing the speech of the current Vice President of the United States so enraptured the already adoring audience, one wonders how this most extraordinary American election in recent history will end?

Just a month ago, Trump was being hailed by his supporters as a near-mythical figure for dodging an assassin’s bullet.

But as the past four weeks have shown, elections can change suddenly.

For Harris, who has now stepped out of the protective ‘love bubble’ of the party conference, the coming days and weeks are crucial.

She and Trump will face off in their first televised debate on September 10, a debate that is being considered “the defining moment.”

Will Harris rise to power on a tidal wave of hope, as Obama did in 2008? Or will she be defeated like Hillary Clinton in 2016?