Staff Reports
Campaign chaos unfolds as Vice President Kamala Harris’s team admits they are the “clear underdogs” as they gear up for the final stretch of the race leading up to November’s showdown with Donald Trump. In an insightful bit of self-reflection from her campaign, chairwoman Jen O’Malley Dillon pointed out the obvious: Trump has a deeply motivated base with more support now than he has seen since his last triumphant run in 2020. Who could have guessed, right? The suspense intensifies as the Vice President prepares to face off against Trump in the upcoming debate, likely wondering if her “gumption” can somehow outmatch a former president’s proven record.
Since the shocking announcement that Harris would be the one to take over the Democratic ticket, there have been efforts to claim victories in polls. Apparently, Harris has edged ahead in certain assessments – but of course, that’s a tough pill to swallow when considering that these findings often come from sources that are as liberal as they come. The predictions show her squeaking out 270 Electoral College votes, yet anyone familiar with historical polling knows that this number may not be worth the pixels it’s printed on.
Team Harris seems to have dusted off the old “let’s pretend Trump is the favorite” strategy. A true classic. According to Dillon, the real contest will hinge on which side has the ability to reach a “broad, diverse coalition.” It’s a charming idea, but one must wonder how this so-called coalition will reconcile its positions when the Vice President and the rest of her allies can’t even decide if a man can become a woman without a good tailwind from Mother Nature.
Harris campaign plays the expectation game calling itself the ‘clear underdogs’ in new memo https://t.co/TUhKmQt6rb
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) September 2, 2024
Harris’s supporters point to her slight polling edge on issues like the economy and abortion access. But they should be careful what they wish for. Public opinion is fickle, especially when it relates to governance that has only produced more inflation and less security. Moreover, tagging along behind her “advantageous” issues is the consistent refrain about Trump being tied to the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025. It seems that the Harris camp believes that accusing him of being in cahoots with a 900-page manifesto will boost their status without actually taking a clear stand on pressing issues.
With mail-in ballots about to flood the system and the presidential debate looming large on the horizon, both campaigns know the stakes are high. Team Harris is ramping up rhetoric claiming that every single vote will matter. They’re spot on about that, especially when the last election was decided by razor-thin margins in battleground states. If it were any closer, one might need a microscope to identify a winner at all.
In short, as the election season heats up and more Americans are drawn into the melodrama of campaign promises, the Harris team is busy polishing their message of unity. Yet, they might want to consider less lofty rhetoric and more concrete solutions if they hope to stand a fighting chance against Trump, the candidate who just won’t seem to fade away.
