Vice President Harris finally launched a media blitz this week, but that doesn't seem to be enough to quell the criticism she's received from conservatives and some journalists.
During her visit to New York on Tuesday, Harris will appear on ABC's “The View,” CBS' “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and Howard Stern's radio show “SiriusXM.”
These appearances are in addition to pre-recorded appearances on CBS' “60 Minutes'' scheduled to air Monday night and the popular podcast “Call Her Daddy,'' released Sunday.
Meanwhile, Harris' running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (Democratic), was also interviewed on “60 Minutes” and was also interviewed separately on ABC's “Jimmy Kimmel Live! ” was scheduled to appear. Monday night.
The blizzard of appearances could also be seen as a rebuttal to claims that Harris is reluctant to submit to media scrutiny.
President Biden abandoned his re-election bid on July 21st, and Harris' first major television interview won't take place until August 29th, when Harris sat down with Walz and spoke to CNN's Dana Bash for quite a while. We had a calm exchange.
This week's “60 Minutes” interview seemed more challenging, at least judging by early excerpts.
One of the videos released by the network shows Harris dodging a question from Bill Whitaker about whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be considered a “close ally” of the United States. Ta.
In another article, the Democratic candidate gave a somewhat paused response to how he plans to pay for the new tax credits that are a central part of his economic plan.
It seems unlikely that she will face tough questions on any of her other shows, especially since they are entertainment shows rather than news shows.
On top of that, “The View” panels typically lean liberal. Colbert hosted a Democratic fundraiser in March that featured Biden, former President Barack Obama and former President Clinton. And last month, Stern said of former President Trump, “I don't think he should be anywhere near the White House.”
During an appearance on the podcast Call Her Daddy, which is known to be popular among young women, Harris defended abortion rights and advocated for women's empowerment, recently criticizing Harris' lack of abortion support. He harshly criticized Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (Republican) for suggesting this. Being a biological child means she has “nothing to keep her humble.”
“I don't think she understands that there are a lot of women who don't want to be modest,” Harris said.
She also spoke about her blended family and her role as a stepmother to her husband Doug Emhoff's children from a previous marriage, saying, “Families come in many forms and this is not the 1950s anymore.” I think we're all starting to understand more and more,” he added. ”
Moments like this appear to have a potentially powerful force in boosting turnout among those favoring Harris, a crucial issue in what appears to be a breathtakingly close election. It will be.
Independent observers expect a similar move as she appears on a mostly liberal-leaning show on Tuesday.
“It's OK for Ms. Harris to try to reach her base,” said Toby Berkowitz, a professor emeritus at Boston University who specializes in political communications. “It's the campaign's goal to make sure she does that.” said. “From a strategy standpoint, that's fine, because her base is going to be watching 'The View,' and they're going to be watching 'Colbert.'
But Berkowitz was more skeptical about whether such interviews could connect with undecided voters.
Meanwhile, some Republicans are questioning Harris' decision to give so many interviews now, after largely avoiding interviews in the early stages of her campaign.
Republican strategist Ron Bonjean argued that Harris is belatedly trying to address challenges revealed in some polls. A significant share of voters say they need to know more about the vice president and his plans.
“The voters they're looking for don't know much about her, so they need to flood the market with media interviews now,” Bonjean argued. “They should have been doing this from the beginning of her campaign – getting her out, talking to the press, making her feel safe and confident.”
On the other hand, shows like “Colbert'' and “The View'' could offer Harris an opportunity to show a more personal side. And even if late-night talk shows in general can no longer command the audiences they did in the days of Jay Leno and David Letterman, effective moments can still go viral.
“The big uptick in these shows is all due to viral spread,” said Mark Longabaugh, a Democratic strategist. “I've never seen those shows live.”
Longabaugh argued that the “entertainment show” provided an important opportunity for Harris and other candidates who could connect with the public in a broader pop culture sense.
“These are moments where you can connect with the culture and zeitgeist of this country,” he said. “These are not big, heavy political lifts.”
Still, even a gentle moment with a broadly supportive host can go awry. Back in 2009, newly sworn-in President Obama had to apologize after joking that his poor performance at the White House bowling alley was “like the Special Olympics or something.” .
Harris should at least avoid such moments.
At best, this week's media onslaught may just add a little more wind to her political voyage at a critical time in the campaign.
But one wrong move can be costly.
The Memo is a reported column by Niall Stanage.
