Staff Reports
Vice President Kamala Harris appears to be less concerned with engaging in meaningful dialogue with voters and more focused on avoiding the spotlight. Since her ascension to the Democratic ticket after President Biden’s departure, Harris has managed to squeeze in only three interviews, while her Republican counterpart, Donald Trump, has cranked out a whopping 14. This stark contrast has left many wondering if Harris is truly ready for the big leagues, or if she’s just perfecting her disappearing act.
While Harris may be trying to keep a low profile, her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, seems to be following suit. Previously eager to engage with the press, Walz now seems more skilled at dodging questions than at providing answers. Before his ticket ride with Harris, Walz was all talk and enthusiasm, but now he’s reduced his interview count to a pitiful four, one of which was a joint effort with Harris. The duo appears to be employing a strategy worthy of a magician’s assistant—keep the audience guessing, and maybe they won’t notice the lack of substance.
Trump-Vance ticket has done combined 34 interviews since last month compared to only one for Harris-Walz https://t.co/aHCrEfM6WH
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 3, 2024
The Harris-Walz campaign appears to be terrified of missteps and has deliberately limited their media appearances to minimize unflattering sound bites. It’s a strategy lifted straight from the playbook of overprotective parents—keep the kids indoors, and they’ll never scrape their knees. This is likely an attempt to shield both candidates from scrutiny, especially with Walz’s past embellishments regarding his military service floating around and Harris’ knack for making eyebrow-raising comments, like her baffling admission that she had never been to Europe. Perhaps her travels were limited while she was still sorting out her passport?
When it comes to their approach to the press, Harris and Walz have opted for radio silence, holding no press conferences, while Trump has been actively engaging the media with three press conferences and his running mate, J.D. Vance, keeping the momentum going with 12 interviews. Instead of fostering an authentic connection with voters, the Democratic duo appears to be relying on a self-imposed media blackout to avoid uncomfortable questions. The strategy has some success in the polls, with Trump allegedly leading Harris by just a hair at 47% to 46%—but a deadlock remains deadlock nonetheless.
And while Vance is dominating the airwaves, he too is facing the heat. A three-year-old clip of him joking about “childless cat ladies” resurfaced, forcing him to defend his words on NBC News, claiming they were taken out of context. It’s hard to ignore the fact that when even pop culture icons like Taylor Swift jump in to voice support for the opposing side, the Republican ticket must be doing something right. At the end of the day, it’s clear the Harris-Walz team is doing everything they can to avoid the light—but that may not be the winning strategy they hope it to be.
