Harris Campaign:“How She Defines The Next Four Years Is Going To Be Why She Wins

(MENAFN- PRovoke) Following a remarkable surge in donations, endorsements and TikTok followers during the first week of Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaign, industry leaders say rallying voters over the 98 days leading up to the election hinges on effective messaging that articulates a vision for change.

“How she defines the next four years is going to be why she wins,” said Bryson Gillette founder and president Bill Burton, who served as deputy White House press secretary in the Obama Administration.

Burton is one of five seasoned Political experts who spoke with PRovoke Media about Harris' early communications strategy and their views on how it needs to evolve for her to win the White House. Participants' responses were nuanced, but they largely agreed that, in addition to distinguishing herself from President Biden, Harris should focus on delivering clear and compelling messages that address the issues that matter most to voters.

Their responses, edited for length and clarity, are below:

SKDK CEO Doug Thornell:

One of the things that has been really nice to watch is how she has owned her message, she's pushed back against efforts to define her. And you've seen this massive rush of support to her online and on social media platforms that is 100% organic. This wasn't something that was choreographed.

I think she's really started to hone in on a very compelling message, and a strong contrast with Donald Trump.
The first speech she made in the campaign really laid out the case very well. It showed her to be tough and strong, but it also made it clear that this was going to be someone who was going to be able to talk about the future, which voters want to hear about.

There is still a lot of research to be done, and by research, I mean public opinion research ... to make sure that the messages that are being delivered are landing and make sense, because when you change the top of the ticket like this, it can be kind of whiplash to voters.

Fundamentally I think this comes back to a character contrast that will be explicit in and implicit in the Harris campaign, a character contrast between her and Trump and, and, quite frankly, a character contrast between the Democrats vision versus the Republicans vision. But what I think Harris has got project is that she is going to be a president for everyone, including Donald Trump supporters.

ROKK Solutions VP Mary Werden:

Vice President Harris' style will bring new energy to the presidential campaign and has shown she can connect with voters in the Democratic coalition. We've already seen a drastic shift in social media content from Gen Z that will help boost enthusiasm with younger voters and rally them to the polls in November.

I expect Vice President Harris to highlight the popular healthcare and infrastructure policies that President Biden signed into law but to also chart her own path with a forward-looking vision. One of her biggest challenges will be voters' pessimistic views of the economy and inflation. Polling suggests that President Biden's economic record is popular once voters know more about it, so her campaign will be an opportunity to speak directly to voters about those policies and lay out a vision for the American economy.

Bryson Gillette founder and president Bill Burton:

This is a change election and, while it will be a delicate dance for Vice President Harris to make that case in a way that respects President Biden's service, it is crucial. Biden made a lot of huge strides for our country, but American voters are not happy with how things are going. In the tradition of Maya Angelou, Harris has to be conscious of not just what she says or does, but how she makes people feel.

Harris' definition of how her administration is going to be different from Biden's, the difference between what has happened and what's going to happen, is where the success of the campaign lies. And she has a strong record to run on. But voters never vote to say thank you. Zero times in the history of democracy has that happened. Voters vote on what's next for their lives and their families. How she defines the next four years is going to be why she wins.

Maslansky + Partners CEO Michael Maslansky

The Harris team has done a great job launching her presidential bid.
But it all gets harder from here.
I think there are two core challenges.

First, the line of attack against her is going to be that she is a California liberal and out of step with a majority of Americans.
To win, she must demonstrate that she is not as extreme as the Republicans will make her out to be. But every time she seeks to move to the middle, she risks alienating the young and non-white voters that she seems to be energizing.
The challenge for her is how to thread the needle.

I think the biggest issue for her is going to be the border.
She has to move to the middle on immigration but do it in a way that doesn't alienate her base.
Americans overwhelmingly believe the border is a huge issue and that unchecked migration is shifting resources away from Americans in need and to migrants who are not following the rules to get in.

Second, she has focused her message on the idea of Prosecutor vs. Perpetrator.
If she makes this the centerpiece of her campaign she is going to lose.
If Trump's convictions were enough to win the election, then this race would not be close.
Americans are exhausted from the focus on Trump's trials.
To win, she needs to focus on what she can bring to the table.

Avoq partner Sarah Hamilton:

The most important thing Vice President Harris and her team can do in this campaign is get out the vote. This
election is a numbers game, and the Harris campaign needs to mobilize and energize voters who may otherwise stay home.

She needs to be on the campaign trail every day making the case for her candidacy in clear and relatable language that speaks to the kitchen table issues people care about: healthcare, jobs, the price of food, the economy, and the safety of their children. Her pick for VP must do the same, and the Democrats will need to mount a robust surrogate operation to make the choice very clear.

Voters must know
what the Democratic Party stands for,
not just why they are anti-Trump and his
agenda. It may sound stark, but these are the issues on the ballot, and if the Harris campaign can clearly communicate this to voters day after day and rally undecided voters and those who might otherwise not vote, she will win.

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