Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have different approaches to the election. In the past, Biden let Donald Trump dominate the news cycles, whether as a strategy or due to his own limitations. This worked for Biden in 2020 when Trump was unpopular, but it was failing in 2024 as Biden struggled to highlight Trump’s flaws amid growing nostalgia for the Trump-era economy and concerns about Biden’s age and fitness for office.
However, Harris has taken a different approach. She has been able to command attention and win the battle for media coverage, something that Biden struggled with. With the help of online meme-makers and a more engaging communication style, Harris has been able to change the narrative. Her campaign is focused on making Trump look weaker rather than stronger, using playful, mocking, and confident language to get people talking.
Harris’s running mate, Tim Walz, has also played a key role in shaping the campaign’s messaging. His ability to get people talking about the issues that matter has been instrumental in Harris’s strategy to shift the focus away from Trump’s strengths and towards his weaknesses. This approach represents a departure from the traditional Democratic strategy of treating certain tactics as beneath them and highlights a new way of approaching political communication.
Overall, Harris’s campaign is focused on winning news cycles and capturing the attention of voters. By making Trump appear weaker and less appealing, Harris is hoping to shift the narrative in her favor and secure a victory in the upcoming election.