It’s clear that Kamala Harris’s campaign continues to blindly chase after a very particular Republican voter base — those who favored Nikki Haley over Donald Trump in the combative 2024 Republican primaries. A revealing indication of this misguided strategy was the spotlight put on Republican backers during the Democratic National Convention. In a laughable attempt to appeal to this group, key speaking slots were handed over to former Representative Adam Kinzinger, former Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan, former Trump administration Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham, former homeland security and counterterrorism advisor Olivia Troye, the Mayor of Mesa, Arizona, John Giles, and one-time Jeb Bush adviser Ana Navarro.
During her acceptance speech for her nomination, Harris cleverly manipulated her words to attract flexible Republicans. It was a futile attempt to depict herself as ‘American’ rather than a member of any specific party. She even had the audacity to claim to place the interest of the country over her own and her party. Labeling herself as ‘practical’ and ‘realistic’, she sidestepped any ideological branding. Attempting to parade herself as a collaborator, she boasted about leading a bipartisan effort to draft a comprehensive border bill.
Still, for anyone with their head screwed on right, her stance against world leaders like Kim Jong-un didn’t quite hit the mark. With a bold voice, she declared her refusal to ally with such ‘tyrants and dictators’, while unjustifiably accusing them of cheering for Trump. But post-convention, it’s clear that Harris still has a long road ahead of her. A recent You Gov/The Economist poll, taken after the convention, put Harris a shaky two points ahead of Trump. Harris garnered barely 5 percent of the Republican vote, slightly lagging behind Trump among independents by 27 to 26 percent, with a hefty 28 percent still sitting on the fence.
The same poll also showed that Harris had just about managed to tighten her grip on the Democratic vote with a 94 percent share. Trump had a pitiful 2 percent of Democrat votes, but with a large chunk of the votes still undecided. There’s not much room left for Harris to strengthen her position among the Democrats unless an unexpectedly high turnout occurs. The real issue brings us back to the Republicans and right-leaning independents who remain undecided.
So what is the great plan of Harris to lure in the right-leaning folks without treading on the toes of her Democratic base? An amusing pledge to include a Republican in her cabinet! A show of ‘bipartisanship’ to grab headlines and perhaps become a staple in her campaign talks, bypassing subtler policy issues. It would also offer her a convenient retort to what is anticipated to be a frequently posed question: How would you be any different than Joe Biden?
Peculiarly, despite Biden’s long history of working across the aisle, he failed to appoint any Republicans to his cabinet. His lack of political diversity was no doubt a shortcoming. Perhaps Harris, in her desperate scramble for more support, hopes to avoid the same pitfall. Yet it’s worth questioning whether this charade of ‘bipartisanship’ can win her the swing voters she so desperately needs.
Despite Harris’s attempts to convince us she’s ‘different’, it’s painfully clear that her tactics are no more than political pandering, an empty rhetoric that seeks to hoodwink the public. The mistakes made during Biden’s time are glaring, and it’s doubtful whether the Harris campaign can do any better to secure the undecided votes.
Squinting at those Haley voters, Harris continues a feigned stand-off with powerful leaders, yet it comes off as nothing more than empty brags. The sound of her thunderous refusal to ‘cozy up to tyrants’ rings hollow. It’s evident that Harris’s pitch to sway undecided Republicans could use some much-needed sharpening.
As Harris continues to thread the needle, attempting to appease both party lines, one can’t help but wonder about the effectiveness of such a strategy. Considering the lukewarm response so far, it doesn’t seem to be doing much good. Claiming to bridge political gaps and promising bipartisan legislation seems to have done little more than act as the window dressing for an ultimately flawed campaign.
The mounting issues faced by Kamala Harris and her campaign are palpable. Regardless of the number of Republicans she wraps her campaign around, the struggle to resonate with conservatives and independents is beyond her reach. Underneath the flimsy rhetoric lies a glaring reality: she is no change from Biden, and the chance of tilting swing voters remains slim.