The final weeks before Election Day are simultaneously invigorating and terrifying. As smaller margins increasingly dictate elections, the final weeks could be pivotal in determining the outcome. Kamala Harris has largely played things safe since becoming the nominee, and while that may have helped her in the beginning, Democrats are starting to worry this strategy has become a problem.
Nearly two dozen Democrats told Politico that they’re worried that Harris’s overly cautious, risk-averse strategy might hurt her campaign as it heads into the final 30 days. They believe her reluctance to hold more substantive interviews and her light campaigning schedule could prove to be a significant liability in the closing stretch of the race.
“There’s a time at which you just have to barnstorm these battlegrounds,” former Obama advisor David Axelrod told the outlet. “These races are decathlons, and there are a lot of events, and you have to do all of them because people want to test you.”
Related: CNN Sees 'Warning Signs' for Kamala's Campaign
“It’s the most difficult oral exam on the planet for the most difficult job, and part of that is just that spontaneous — town halls, all kinds of interviews, and not just friendly interviews. OTRs where you interact in a substantive way with people, all of those things are valuable,” Axelrod continued. “And I would be doing them if I were her.”
Democrats acknowledged Harris is performing better than Biden and the excitement surrounding her candidacy has increased the party’s cash advantage. She’s also put the Sun Belt swing states back in play. But they’re also growing more distressed that a campaign insisting Harris is the “underdog” is running like she’s protecting a lead.
While the plan is for Harris’ travel to ramp up in October, the vice president has spent more than a third of days since the Democratic National Convention receiving briefings from staff and conducting internal meetings, or without any scheduled public events, according to a POLITICO review of her travel. That excludes days with known official side business, like her late September meeting with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the president of the United Arab Emirates, at the White House, last week’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and briefings she received at FEMA’s headquarters in Washington earlier this week.
According to the report, Kamala has devoted just over half of the remaining days of the campaign to holding rallies, delivering policy-focused speeches, and participating in events with labor unions and other public-facing activities, including visits to small businesses in key swing states. Remarkably, she has also spent nearly half of her time since the DNC in Washington, pretending to be presidential and in charge.
One major issue is that while she’s increasing her interview appearances, they often lack substance, resembling softball questions rather than tough inquiries. This week, Harris is scheduled to appear on friendly platforms like "The View," "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," and Howard Stern’s show. Although these appearances may help her claim that she’s engaging with the public after weeks of limited interviews, it’s questionable how effectively she’s reaching independent and undecided voters through such overtly pro-Democrat venues that have done nothing to sway independents.
Democrats know that they can't make the same mistakes as they did back in 2016, which is why Kamala's campaign isn't taking things for granted the way Hillary Clinton did. Hillary didn't campaign in Wisconsin, and that may have cost her. But reports like this shouldn't be mistaken as a reason to be complacent.
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