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2024-10-10 08:20:00 UTC
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PermalinkTwo months ago even a month ago they were feeling bullish about
Vice President Harriss prospects of defeating former President Trump.
But now, with less than a month to go until Election Day, theyre
increasingly worried about a number of issues plaguing the Democratic
nominees campaign.
On Tuesday, there was grumbling from some Democrats about the vice
presidents interview on CBSs 60 Minutes.
Theres also concern on everything from the static poll numbers in the
race to the vice presidents messaging and even her standing with men
not just white men but Black and Hispanic men, too.
Some of this perhaps can just be chalked up to normal Democratic nerves
ahead of what looks like it could be among the closest presidential
elections in history. Either way, its nerve-racking for Democrats.
Everything is deadlocked and the composition of the electorate is
unknowable, and there are so many things that are unprecedented, said
Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons, who served as Harriss
communications director until last year.
We cant look back with any level of security because we havent had
an African American woman on the ticket. We havent had a former
president running again. We havent had a campaign with two
assassination attempts. We havent switched out a candidate two months
before Election Day before.
So its just hard to know, Simmons explained. If youre not nervous,
youre not paying attention.
Democratic strategist Anthony Coley, who served in the Biden
administration, acknowledged the trepidation, pointing to the stagnant
poll numbers in the weeks following the Democratic National Convention,
when Democrats were making comparisons between Harriss campaign and
former President Obamas run in 2008.
Now that the sugar high is gone, people have realized what Kamala
Harris has said from the start, which is that she is the underdog,
Coley said. This is going to be a fight. These numbers are just so
stubborn.
To be sure, there was good news for Democrats on multiple fronts in
recent days.
For starters, Harris benefited on the economic front following news of
a robust jobs report last week. Inflation which has been a major
source of anxiety for Democrats has also slowed. A port strike
threatening to hamper the economy was suspended.
A string of new polls also shows Harris with a lead. A New York
Times/Siena College poll on Tuesday, for example, found Harris ahead of
Trump nationally, with 49 percent support to his 46 percent, in a head-
to-head match-up among likely voters.
A Reuters-Ipsos survey also showed Harris with a 3-point edge 46
percent to 43 percent over Trump.
But the polls in the battleground states are tighter. The Hill/Decision
Desk HQ polling average for swing states shows that no one has a lead
of even a single percentage point in the nations seven key swing
states.
Democrats are the first to acknowledge that they have walked around in
a perpetual state of fear since the 2016 presidential race, when Trump
defeated Hillary Clinton in a surprise victory. Since then, they have
vowed to keep the former president from returning to the Oval Office, a
major reason why President Biden was pressured out for Harris in July.
We are Democrats. We are professionally nervous, Democratic
strategist Tim Hogan said.
Still, Hogan said the campaign has found solid footing in organizing,
fundraising and messaging.
Theres confidence, but its measured because the stakes are so high,
Hogan added. For the next four weeks, its about channeling that
energy in productive ways: getting everyone on the doors and phones to
turn out the vote.
Asked about the state of the race, one major Democratic donor dubbed it
a flip of the coin.
I feel better than I did last week, but it still doesnt feel great,
the donor said. I have a pit in my stomach.
The donor attributed the feeling to several things but mostly pointed
to one major flaw: Harriss economic message wasnt resonating.
And the economy is issues No. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, the donor said.
For weeks, Harris has been criticized by Republicans for not doing
interviews, an attack that became part of Trumps talking points at
rallies and in his own sit-downs with conservative media.
But in recent days, she has embarked on a media blitz. This week
after largely shunning journalists, talk show hosts and podcasters
since becoming the Democratic nominee the vice president appeared on
CBSs 60 Minutes, Howard Sterns show on SiriusXM, Late Night with
Stephen Colbert and even the popular womens podcast Call Her Daddy.
Last week, Harris appeared on All the Smoke, a podcast hosted by two
former NBA players, where she talked about issues including legalizing
marijuana and even Trumps comments on her racial identity.
The rash of interviews is part of a strategy aimed at speaking directly
to much-needed voting blocs that are still undecided including Black
and Hispanic voters.
While Democrats said they were pleased to see Harris on a whirlwind
media tour, they also criticized her messaging on key issues including
the economy and immigration.
In the 60 Minutes interview, one Democratic strategist praised her
comments on owning and shooting a gun, which they said would appeal to
moderates who are tired of Trump.
But at the same time, Harriss comments largely fell flat, the
strategist said.
She is still fine-tuning her message 28 days out, and Im sorry, we
are in the make the sale phase of the campaign now, were not still
tweaking the message, the strategist said.
One Democratic consultant worried that while Harriss campaign is
doing all the right things on fundraising, on its field operation,
and even paid media, it may not be enough for the vice president.
We all knew this would be hard, the consultant said. Its going to
come down to the wire. No one knows how this will end. Thats almost
the scariest part.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4922690-democrats-nervous-kamala-
harris-campaign/