Harris’ Honeymoon Phase Coming to an End: Maintaining Momentum Amidst AttacksHarris’ Honeymoon Phase Coming to an End: Maintaining Momentum Amidst Attacks After withdrawing from the presidential race and endorsing Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate, former President Joe Biden initially ignited enthusiasm within the party. However, Vice President Harris now faces challenges in sustaining that momentum as the initial excitement wanes. Upcoming Milestones and Challenges This week, Democratic delegates could nominate Harris, while speculation surrounding her running mate decision intensifies. Amidst these events, Harris and her team will need to maintain their momentum against increasing attacks from former President Donald Trump and his campaign. Republican Criticisms and Vance’s Controversies Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance, are set to hold rallies and criticize Harris’ immigration policies, portraying her as an overly progressive candidate. Vance, in particular, faces scrutiny over past controversial comments that have recently resurfaced. Harris’ Countermeasures and Messaging Harris has acknowledged the challenging road ahead, emphasizing the need to fight complacency. Her supporters have defended her against Republican attacks by highlighting her bipartisan support for border security measures. Additionally, potential running mate candidates have auditioned for the position while publicly downplaying their interest. Conclusion As the initial honeymoon phase with Harris comes to an end, the Democratic party must navigate Republican attacks and maintain momentum. Harris and her team will need to effectively address criticism while continuing to build support among key voting blocs. The outcome of the upcoming weeks will determine the trajectory of Harris’ campaign and the overall electoral landscape.
When President Joe Biden said just over a week ago that he would withdraw from the presidential race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, immediately galvanizing the beleaguered Democratic base.
The party rallied behind Harris as positive memes and stats about Democrats poured in over the past week: $200 million in donations, a long list of promising vice presidential options and a string of improved poll numbers.
Harris faces more difficult tasks in the coming weeks: maintaining that enthusiasm as the initial excitement fades as the former President Donald Trump and his campaign are sharpening their attacks on her.
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This week alone holds significant milestones. Democratic delegates could vote virtually to nominate Harris as early as Thursday, the date the Democratic National Committee said it would do so if only one candidate emerged.
And speculation about a running mate will run rampant this week as Harris narrows down her choices ahead of an Aug. 7 deadline she has set. She has authorized Eric H. Holder Jr., the former attorney general, and his law firm, Covington & Burling, to vet potential candidates.
“I would call it a honeymoon,” said Steve Sisolak, the former Democratic governor of Nevada, a key swing state. “We’ve got to keep the energy going. You started it — now you’ve got to keep it going. It’s going to be a challenge for everybody.”
Harris and her top delegates are expected to keep up their pace early this week, with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro — the latter seen as a serious vice presidential contender — campaigning for Harris in Pennsylvania on Monday.
On Tuesday, Harris will make her first appearance as a presidential candidate this cycle in Georgia, where she has been campaigning in Atlanta as she works to keep the state in play in November. Biden turned Georgia blue in 2020, but the president’s lagging poll numbers had prompted many Democrats to all but write it off this year. Harris, as she works to win back the support of key blocs of the Democratic coalition — including Black people, women, younger voters and college-educated suburbanites — could build new momentum there.
Trump and his allies will also be active. The former president is holding a rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday, and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, is expected to appear at a series of events in the Western battleground states of Nevada and Arizona. In two states with large Hispanic populations, Vance is likely to continue to criticize Harris on immigration, calling her the “border czar,” an attack Republicans see as effective after Biden appointed her to address the “root causes” of migration from Central American countries.
Vance has his own controversies. He has been criticized for past comments that have resurfaced in the past week and a half, including his mockery of “childless cat ladies,” his assertion that childless Americans should pay higher taxes and his correspondence with a former law school classmate in which he expressed political views that differ sharply from his current ones and said, “I hate the police.” Vance’s allies and opponents alike will be watching his performances this week closely to see how well he recovers.
Republicans have also begun to attack Harris for her past policies and statements. They have revived her presidential campaign, claiming that she is a radical left voter from California who is too progressive for the rest of the country.
“They’re going to attack her, sure. Of course they’re going to attack her,” said Claire McCaskill, the former Democratic senator from Missouri. “But so far they’ve just tried to somehow dissuade her from supporting law enforcement, and that rings a little hollow coming from a vice presidential candidate who we now know has said in writing, ‘I hate the police.’”
Harris acknowledged that the road ahead is long. At a fundraiser last weekend, she tried to temper expectations and guard against complacency.
“We’ve got a lot of fight ahead of us and we’re the underdogs in this race, okay?” Harris said.
The next morning, the Sunday news programs featured a slew of Democratic surrogates defending her against Republican attacks.
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who ran to Harris’ left in the 2020 Democratic primary, took to CNN to tout her moderate credentials. She praised Harris for supporting bipartisan legislation this year that would have enacted hardline border policies more often supported by Republicans. It was Trump, Warren noted, who torpedoed that deal.
Another group of surrogates auditioned to be Harris’ running mate, following the time-honored political tradition of insisting they weren’t thinking about it. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz vigorously defended himself when asked on CNN whether some of his policies — such as free meals for schoolchildren and free college tuition for low-income residents — might be seen as too liberal for a general election audience.
“What a monster. Kids are eating and having full bellies so they can learn and women are making their own decisions about their health care, and we’re a top five business state and we’re also in the top three for happiness,” Walz said with a laugh.
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