Staff Reports
Kamala Harris has been experimenting with a remarkably innovative campaign strategy: avoidance. Since entering the 2024 presidential race, she’s become the undisputed champion of dodging the media. Even in a landscape saturated with interviews and public appearances, Harris managed to squeeze in just one interview with running mate Governor Tim Walz, who also appears to be running from the headlines. It seems the plan is to sidestep any tough questions that might make her campaign feel a little less like a circus and a bit more like an accountability session.
Analysts have openly speculated that her media strategy is all about evading uncomfortable conversations tied to her past policy decisions. One prominent commentator from the Washington Examiner laid bare the political game at play: Harris aims to dodge the scrutiny of her ever-changing positions—something her opponents certainly haven’t forgotten. With a campaign that attempts to frame her as a revolutionary force while being firmly tethered to President Biden’s controversial legacy, her approach looks a lot like trying to sell an aging model as the latest thing on the market.
Harris’s ‘basement strategy’ has not helped her electability:@KayleeDMcGhee https://t.co/q6hVs5BK8W
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) September 9, 2024
Harris has not only skipped out on the press but has raised the stakes for herself ahead of the tumultuous debate against Donald Trump. The impending showdown promises to be a make-or-break moment for her campaign. She’s previously thrived when on the attack, but now she’ll be boxed in with questions she has been so desperately trying to avoid. While Harris may have an ace up her sleeve with her habitual quip about Trump being a “convicted felon,” the lack of one-on-one media time could come back to haunt her as the spotlight shines directly on her.
Not satisfied with simply avoiding tough questions, Harris’s campaign also made an ill-fated attempt to change the debate rules, insisting that microphones stay live for the entire duration. In the end, her plea fell flat, and she will face a more restrained debate format akin to a CNN town hall—where her comforting silence might not be permissible. Such a shift means she will need to confront her track record head-on rather than relying on the friendly banter typically found in conversations with fellow Democrats.
Recent polling numbers have also shown the uphill battle Harris faces in gaining traction against Trump. The New York Times and Siena College released findings indicating that Trump leads Harris by a slim margin of just one percentage point, a statistic muddied by the margin of error. With nearly a third of voters still saying they need to know more about Harris, the debate is set to be a pivotal moment where her avoidance tactics will be put to the test. If she hopes to count on a miracle, she might want to reconsider her disappearing act and start facing the music before it’s too late.
