The most important resource a candidate has is time. Where they go, who they are with and what they say defines their feel for the race more than any spin provided by consultants.
There's only one conclusion to draw from where they were last week and where they plan to go this week: Kamala Harris is running scared.
With just a few weeks left, confident Democratic candidates will reach out to sway voters. She knows her base is already locked down, so she can focus full-time on rallying the voters she needs to finish her campaign.
Instead, Ms. Harris spent the week courting blacks, the most solid demographic in the Democratic Party's history.
African Americans typically support the Democratic Party by a wide margin of 80 to 85 points. But with polling averages showing her winning by just 64 points in this important group, Harris will continue to implore and persuade Black people to return to their historic homelands. departed on.
She made an appearance last Monday in Erie, Pennsylvania, to appeal to black people, followed by appearances in cities with large black populations, including Detroit and Philadelphia.
The onslaught continued with appearances in Milwaukee, home to Wisconsin's black community, appearances in three black neighborhoods in metro Atlanta, and further visits to Detroit and Philadelphia.
She gave a speech at a black church in Georgia, which has been a centerpiece of the Democratic Party's black advocacy efforts for decades, and was joined by celebrities such as the Rev. Al Sharpton and podcast host Charlamagne the God. We also conducted interviews with black leaders.
Harris isn't done either. She plans to campaign in Georgia with Barack Obama on Thursday and in Michigan with Michelle Obama on Saturday.
But she's not just focusing on black people this week. She sprinted through three states Monday with former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, appealing to Republican voters and attacking Donald Trump on “democracy.”
It might have been more promising had she been more confident in appealing to typically Democratic voters. The fact that she's spending so much time trying to stop the bleeding with black people speaks volumes about her campaign's biggest priorities.
Trump, meanwhile, spent his time courting the floating votes expected of someone with a lead. He went to suburban Montgomery County, Pennsylvania for a town hall, then held a town hall for women in Atlanta.
His speech at the Al Smith Dinner in New York (Mr. Harris omitted the traditional ceremony) made national news and allowed him to speak to Catholic voters across the country.
He then spent the rest of the week in outreach mode, including a feat handing out french fries to overjoyed customers at a McDonald's in Bucks County, a suburb of Philadelphia.
Trump also attacked Harris' weakness: black men.
His Detroit rally featured two local black heroes, including legendary boxer Thomas “The Hitman” Hearns.
He repeated this at a metropolitan event in Pittsburgh, bringing two former Pittsburgh Steelers stars on stage to show his support.
This week, President Trump will continue his outreach theme with rallies in suburban Charlotte and Las Vegas. He also plans to try to excite the MAGA faithful by hosting an event in a rural Georgia town.
The travel of the two vice presidential candidates reflects the priorities of their bosses.
Tim Walz campaigned last week at black-focused events in Saginaw, Michigan, and Omaha, Nebraska, while J.D. Vance spent time in rural and suburban towns in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and North Carolina. I spent it.
Waltz will be performing again this week, with stops in Madison, Wisconsin, Louisville, Kentucky on Tuesday, North Carolina on Wednesday and Thursday, and Philadelphia on Friday.
Meanwhile, Vance is heading southwest. Republicans plan to expand into both major media markets in Nevada and Arizona, and eventually into the Detroit suburbs and the chocolate capital of the nation, Hershey, Pennsylvania.
There is no telling what will happen in this close game with only two weeks remaining. But for now, the candidate's trip portends better news for Trump than for Harris.
If Harris is still talking to the Democratic base in the final weeks, Democratic concerns are expected to reach a maximum of 11.
Political analyst and commentator Henry Olsen is a senior fellow at the Center for Ethics and Public Policy.
