The Five Alerts for Harris Following the DNC
Even with the enthusiasm at the Democratic National Convention, Kamala Harris' campaign continues to promote her as the underdog.
TroibNews 
Vice President Kamala Harris emerged from the Democratic National Convention with building momentum in her campaign, yet with just over two months until Election Day, her path to victory remains uncertain.
Her team is framing her shortened campaign as an underdog story, and numerous speakers at the convention highlighted the ongoing challenges ahead. “The energy is good, but the energy has to be harnessed for good, because energy not harnessed doesn't always turn out to be good energy in politics,” stated Antjuan Seawright, a Democratic strategist from South Carolina.
Here are five challenges the Harris campaign will need to tackle as the race intensifies.
**Tight Polling in Battleground States**
In recent weeks, Harris has edged ahead in the polls, surpassing former President Donald Trump nationally and in most swing states. However, strategists express caution about her ability to sustain this momentum. A poll commissioned by Navigator Research and released prior to Harris’ DNC speech revealed that Harris and Trump were effectively tied in key swing states. Moreover, the founder of Future Forward, the leading pro-Harris super PAC, noted that their internal polling painted a “much less rosy” picture than public surveys. Historical context is critical here, as polls traditionally underestimated Trump's performance in 2016 and 2020, prompting top Democratic polling firms to collaborate post-election to avoid repeating their miscalculations. “Nobody knows what to believe, except that Trump’s numbers are probably underrepresented,” remarked veteran Democratic strategist Doug Herman.
**Harris Still Hasn't Sat for an Interview**
Despite promising to schedule an interview before the end of August, Harris has not yet announced plans for her first public sit-down as the Democratic nominee, and as the days tick down, the pressure mounts for her to excel when the opportunity arises. Trump has taken advantage of her absence from the interview circuit, criticizing her as “barely competent” during recent news coverage. A seasoned Democratic strategist pointed out that sit-down TV interviews are “one of her central challenges.” Harris faced scrutiny following her 2021 NBC News interview with Lester Holt, where she struggled to explain her lack of visits to the U.S.-Mexico border. “Harris has always struggled with interviews and has an argumentative streak in those interviews. She vacillates between argumentative and word salad,” said the strategist, who requested anonymity.
**Debate Dynamics**
The upcoming presidential debate presents an essential opportunity for Harris to differentiate herself from Trump, particularly given their contrasting backgrounds and experiences. Scheduled to debate on ABC News on Sept. 10, Trump recently criticized the network for a perceived bias, expressing skepticism about participating. In a show of confidence, Harris’ campaign poked fun at Trump’s apparent hesitation by incorporating chicken emojis into their social media posts. Additionally, discussions persist concerning whether microphones should be muted while one candidate speaks. While Harris' team believes that an open mic would favor her, Trump’s team is advocating adherence to previously agreed-upon rules with President Biden’s campaign. On Monday, Trump remarked, “It doesn't matter to me. I'd rather have it probably on,” regarding his microphone preference.
**Where’s the Policy?**
Harris’ campaign has yet to provide detailed policy proposals, complicating her ability to counter Republican claims that she is too progressive and inconsistent. Her campaign website lacks substantive policy information, and while she has addressed her economic and foreign policy views at campaign events and during her DNC speech, specifics remain sparse. Herman pointed out that Harris has had “a million things to do that are far more important” than rolling out a comprehensive policy agenda amid an unpredictable election timeline. Nonetheless, he stressed the importance of her fleshing out her policy positions to establish a broad mandate for governance if elected. It remains unclear how Harris plans to distance herself from aspects of Biden’s presidency that may not resonate with her base, such as the controversial U.S. military exit from Afghanistan in 2021, as well as from more progressive policies she previously endorsed, like a fracking ban, which her campaign has since moderated.
**Trump’s Support Among White Men**
Every vote is crucial for Harris, particularly as she struggles to reach certain voter demographics. While she is working to strengthen the coalition of Democratic supporters and has made gains among various groups compared to Biden—most notably with young, women, Black voters, and independents—Trump still enjoys substantial backing from men and white voters, both nationally and in key battleground states. “Some would say that putting the thumb on the scale and increasing turnout among other subsets of the electorate is far more fruitful for her campaign, and it's hard to argue with that,” noted Herman. “That said, you don't want to get your clock clean with any subgroup when you're in a tight election that's neck and neck across the board.”
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
Her team is framing her shortened campaign as an underdog story, and numerous speakers at the convention highlighted the ongoing challenges ahead. “The energy is good, but the energy has to be harnessed for good, because energy not harnessed doesn't always turn out to be good energy in politics,” stated Antjuan Seawright, a Democratic strategist from South Carolina.
Here are five challenges the Harris campaign will need to tackle as the race intensifies.
**Tight Polling in Battleground States**
In recent weeks, Harris has edged ahead in the polls, surpassing former President Donald Trump nationally and in most swing states. However, strategists express caution about her ability to sustain this momentum. A poll commissioned by Navigator Research and released prior to Harris’ DNC speech revealed that Harris and Trump were effectively tied in key swing states. Moreover, the founder of Future Forward, the leading pro-Harris super PAC, noted that their internal polling painted a “much less rosy” picture than public surveys. Historical context is critical here, as polls traditionally underestimated Trump's performance in 2016 and 2020, prompting top Democratic polling firms to collaborate post-election to avoid repeating their miscalculations. “Nobody knows what to believe, except that Trump’s numbers are probably underrepresented,” remarked veteran Democratic strategist Doug Herman.
**Harris Still Hasn't Sat for an Interview**
Despite promising to schedule an interview before the end of August, Harris has not yet announced plans for her first public sit-down as the Democratic nominee, and as the days tick down, the pressure mounts for her to excel when the opportunity arises. Trump has taken advantage of her absence from the interview circuit, criticizing her as “barely competent” during recent news coverage. A seasoned Democratic strategist pointed out that sit-down TV interviews are “one of her central challenges.” Harris faced scrutiny following her 2021 NBC News interview with Lester Holt, where she struggled to explain her lack of visits to the U.S.-Mexico border. “Harris has always struggled with interviews and has an argumentative streak in those interviews. She vacillates between argumentative and word salad,” said the strategist, who requested anonymity.
**Debate Dynamics**
The upcoming presidential debate presents an essential opportunity for Harris to differentiate herself from Trump, particularly given their contrasting backgrounds and experiences. Scheduled to debate on ABC News on Sept. 10, Trump recently criticized the network for a perceived bias, expressing skepticism about participating. In a show of confidence, Harris’ campaign poked fun at Trump’s apparent hesitation by incorporating chicken emojis into their social media posts. Additionally, discussions persist concerning whether microphones should be muted while one candidate speaks. While Harris' team believes that an open mic would favor her, Trump’s team is advocating adherence to previously agreed-upon rules with President Biden’s campaign. On Monday, Trump remarked, “It doesn't matter to me. I'd rather have it probably on,” regarding his microphone preference.
**Where’s the Policy?**
Harris’ campaign has yet to provide detailed policy proposals, complicating her ability to counter Republican claims that she is too progressive and inconsistent. Her campaign website lacks substantive policy information, and while she has addressed her economic and foreign policy views at campaign events and during her DNC speech, specifics remain sparse. Herman pointed out that Harris has had “a million things to do that are far more important” than rolling out a comprehensive policy agenda amid an unpredictable election timeline. Nonetheless, he stressed the importance of her fleshing out her policy positions to establish a broad mandate for governance if elected. It remains unclear how Harris plans to distance herself from aspects of Biden’s presidency that may not resonate with her base, such as the controversial U.S. military exit from Afghanistan in 2021, as well as from more progressive policies she previously endorsed, like a fracking ban, which her campaign has since moderated.
**Trump’s Support Among White Men**
Every vote is crucial for Harris, particularly as she struggles to reach certain voter demographics. While she is working to strengthen the coalition of Democratic supporters and has made gains among various groups compared to Biden—most notably with young, women, Black voters, and independents—Trump still enjoys substantial backing from men and white voters, both nationally and in key battleground states. “Some would say that putting the thumb on the scale and increasing turnout among other subsets of the electorate is far more fruitful for her campaign, and it's hard to argue with that,” noted Herman. “That said, you don't want to get your clock clean with any subgroup when you're in a tight election that's neck and neck across the board.”
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
