Is the Harris Campaign Too Online?
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Vice President Kamala Harris is "brat," and her running mate Tim Walz says Republicans are "weird" and that Trump's vice presidential pick J.D. Vance needs to "get off the couch." What do these comments mean, and will they translate into votes?
For Context: When British pop singer Charli XCX tweeted "Kamala IS Brat," Harris embraced the album-inspired rebrand on her social media. In a viral interview clip, Walz called Republicans "weird," which may have played a part in his selection as Harris's VP pick. At their first campaign stop together, Walz made a joke about a viral meme stemming from a satirical tweet claiming J.D. Vance had sex with a couch. The Harris campaign's lean into internet culture has played well online, but is it resonating with voters?
From the Right: Noah Rothman (Lean Right bias) argued that the Harris campaign is too online, adding, "Worst of all, it could confirm what many suspect: that Walz’s very selection represented an effort to get right with the loudest elements of the progressive base, whose numbers pale disproportionately to the influence they wield on the internet."
From the Left: A contributor to The Conversation (Lean Left bias) said, "By leaning into the 'brat summer' brand and tapping into trending audios, Harris’s campaign is leveraging youth culture to position herself as a relevant and contemporary candidate for Gen Z...The very personality quirks that Republicans have tried to construe as baggage to take Harris down have emerged as one her greatest assets in connecting with younger voters."
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Center
Step Away from the Memes, Madame Vice President
The liberal media is really, really feeling themselves, seemingly convinced that Kamala Harris’s near-tie performance in recent polls reflects permanent strength on her part. I don’t know; it seems like this closing of the gap could largely be the result of an unprecedented one-time boost, given the strange situation we’re in. It would certainly be an exaggeration to say that most Democrats appear certain of victory in November, but many are displaying a level of exuberance that’s very hard for me to justify with evidence. This is especially true given two facts:...
From the Left
Trump is plain ‘weird’: how Kamala Harris’ meme-fied campaign is leveraging social media and Gen Z culture
Last week, presumptive US Democratic nominee Kamala Harris delivered one of the most important messages of her presidential campaign so far:
I’ve heard that recently I’ve been on the ‘For You’ page, so I thought I would get on here myself.
She wasn’t speaking to a typical crowd of supporters at a campaign rally, or to journalists at a White House press conference – but to an audience of 20 million TikTok users.
From the Right
The First Signs of a ‘Too-Online’ Campaign
It seems likely that the adrenaline that has accompanied the Democratic Party’s brush with political death is doing a lot of the work of generating enthusiasm for the party’s new presidential prospects for both Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. But one thing you can say in Walz’s favor, though, is that his demeanor is that of a happy warrior, and his attempts at humor have a natural and unrehearsed feel.
As a performer, Walz has skills. But his material should leave his supporters apprehensive about the Minnesota governor’s judgment.
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