Kamala’s Campaign Is Basically a Reality Show but No One Cares What Celebrities Think

Group Pictures / shutterstock.com
Group Pictures / shutterstock.com

Well, it looks like Kamala Harris and her team are sweating bullets as Election Day approaches. With just two weeks to go, they’re facing poll numbers that show the vast majority of Americans think the country is off track. Surprise, surprise. And what’s their strategy? They’re hoping that Donald Trump, as usual, will serve up more of his colorful rhetoric—maybe even another shout-out to the “enemy within” or one of those bizarre tangents like the one about golf legend Arnold Palmer at a rally. Yep, that’s their master plan: wait for Trump to ramble and hope people focus on that instead of Harris’ lackluster track record.

Harris’ campaign chair, Jen O’Malley Dillon, is putting on a brave face, telling donors at a retreat in Philadelphia that they’re still in the race. But if you ask me, it sounds more like they’re trying to convince themselves. Sure, Harris has a few battleground states in play, but her team is all too aware that Trump still commands a loyal following. As David Plouffe, who worked for Obama, put it, Trump could easily get 48% of the vote in those key states. That’s the cold, hard truth the Democrats just can’t wish away, no matter how much they cross their fingers and hope for a miracle.

Harris’ team thinks they’ve got an edge with their ground game—something they picked up from Biden’s campaign, which isn’t exactly a vote of confidence, given how underwhelming his presidency has been. They’ve got door-knockers, on-the-ground outreach, and they’re trying to harness new technology to sway voters. They even have some “celebrities” lined up to make social media appearances. Because nothing says “I care about your problems” like a Hollywood endorsement, right?

The Harris camp is also trying to court disengaged voters with tactics like sending direct texts through community members. For example, in Michigan, Jewish voters were asked to host “Kamala Shabbat” dinners to boost support. Seriously? Is that what the Democrats are banking on? It feels like a desperate attempt to scrape together any votes they can find.

In true Democratic fashion, they’ve also been rolling out a slew of endorsements from nonpoliticians. They’re throwing everything at the wall, hoping something will stick. Interviews with the likes of Charlamagne tha God and celebrity endorsements like Julia Roberts making appearances in Georgia are supposed to win over voters. But really, who’s falling for this gimmicky strategy?

Harris’ team is still trying to make the argument that Trump is unfit for office, banking on voters being scared of another Trump term. They’re painting him as mentally and physically unfit, claiming he’s in decline—because that’s the best they’ve got. Their ads hammer on this point, trying to convince voters that Trump’s return to the White House would spell disaster. They’re also sticking to hot-button issues like reproductive rights and Harris’ so-called “economic plans” in a last-ditch effort to win over suburban women and seniors.

Now, you’ve got to love how the Democrats love to rewrite history. They’re out here trying to convince us that we “survived” the first Trump term purely by luck and that the country couldn’t possibly endure another four years. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz went as far as to claim Trump’s response to the pandemic was a total disaster, conveniently forgetting that Democratic governors were the ones making questionable decisions left and right. Walz also pointed to Trump’s former national security advisor, Michael Flynn, and his comments about military tribunals, trying to stir up fear and hysteria. Classic.

In the meantime, Harris is pulling out all the stops. Expect more ads, more online appeals, and more digital billboards, especially in battleground states like Pennsylvania. The Democrats are holding out hope that voters will suddenly come around to Harris in the final stretch, but the reality is they’ve got a tough road ahead. They might be confident on the surface, but deep down, they know that the next two weeks could be make-or-break.

So, what’s the bottom line here? Harris is hoping to coast into the White House by banking on Trump’s missteps and whipping up fear about his return. But the real question is whether she can convince enough voters that she’s the change they want. Based on what I’m seeing, that’s going to be an uphill battle. The Democrats may be holding their breath, but come Election Day, they might be in for a rude awakening.