Vice President Kamala Harris will have to “strike the right balance” at the Democratic National Convention, with Democratic strategists saying it’s “critical” for her to highlight her record to voters while also focusing on the future and building “momentum” as the campaign formally moves into the general election.
The Democratic National Convention kicks off in Chicago on Monday and runs until Thursday, when Harris formally accepts the Democratic presidential nomination.
Leading Democrats and supporters across the country are expected to back Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and their support has grown since President Biden suspended his reelection campaign and Harris launched her own.
Democratic strategists told Fox News Digital that Harris needs to ensure she captures “growing voter enthusiasm.”
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Vice President Kamala Harris holds a campaign rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Friday, August 16, 2024. (Image direct from Fox News Digital)
“The most important thing is to maintain the momentum. They’ve been on a roll for the last few weeks,” Brad Bannon, Democratic strategist, pollster and president of Bannon Communications Research, told Fox News Digital. “Once President Biden decided to step aside, Vice President Kamala Harris rose to the occasion. She quickly raised a lot of money, solidified the nomination and picked a great candidate who was very well received in Walz. What they need to do at this convention is maintain the momentum and keep that momentum going.”
Max Burns, founder of the Democratic firm Third Degree Strategies, told Fox News Digital that the enthusiasm is there.
“Polls so far and growing voter enthusiasm indicate that the Democratic Party has already successfully launched Kamala Harris as its nominee. She will now have the opportunity to tell her story to a large national audience at our convention,” Burns said, praising Harris for choosing Walz as her running mate.
“The Democratic National Convention will have the feel of a celebration rather than a dry political convention,” Burns said.
Democratic vice presidential nominee and Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz speaks alongside Democratic presidential nominee and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris during a campaign rally at Temple University’s Liacoras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, August 6, 2024. (Andrew Harnick/Getty Images)
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Democratic sources also spoke out, urging Harris and Walz to “keep doing what they’re doing.”
But Kayvan Shroff, a Democratic strategist, New York delegate and former digital coordinator for Hillary for America, told Fox News Digital that rather than showcasing past performance, the Harris-Waltz team needs to look to the future and focus on how their policy proposals can help in the future.
“Of course, we’re going to hear about the historic accomplishments of the Biden-Harris Administration, but that’s not enough,” Shroff said. “Voters are more interested in what you can do next than what you’ve done before.”
Shroff said it was “important” for the party to “strike the right balance between focusing on the future while also making sure people know what the party has accomplished.”
Vice President Kamala Harris holds a campaign rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Friday, August 16, 2024. (Image direct from Fox News Digital)
As for the party convention, Shroff said the Democratic team organising the event was “exceptional.”
“The production value is going to be impressive,” he said, “and I’m excited to see how Harris’ already agile and innovative digital business will use storytelling and key moments to bring people into the room who weren’t there.”
Meanwhile, Bannon told Fox News Digital that Harris won’t try to distance herself “too much” from President Biden and the policies of his administration.
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Bannon was referring to a new economic policy plan that Harris released on Friday, which calls for: Federal Price Controls To stop food prices from going up in the face of inflation.
“On economic policy, she’s done what I expected Biden to do a few months ago,” Bannon said. “It’s a big step that she’s taken, and it shows that not only will there be a difference on economic policy, but I think her overall tone is very different from Biden’s.”
Bannon said he expected Harris’ campaign to be “much more aggressive than Joe Biden’s campaign.”
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“Biden has portrayed himself as a calming figure in a divided nation,” Bannon told Fox News Digital. “I think Harris will strike a more aggressive tone.”
He added: “I think she set out to be more aggressive the day after Biden left office.”
