How’s Kamala’s Media Tour Going?
Bubba
10 Oct
After being criticized for avoiding the press, Kamala Harris has embarked on a back-to-back-to-back series of media appearances. (WSJ)
“60 Minutes”: Harris stumbled through a series of tough questions in a “60 Minutes” interview that aired Monday.
What stood out: Pressed repeatedly on the Biden-Harris’ record on immigration, Harris avoided answering whether it was “a mistake to loosen the immigration policies as much as you did,” saying, “It’s a long-standing problem, and solutions are at hand, and from day one, literally, we have been offering solutions.”
“Call Her Daddy”: Harris’ appearance on the uber-popular, raunchy girl talk podcast led to accusations that it was a “propaganda” interview devoid of substance.
What stood out: Harris emphatically answered, “No!” when “Call Her Daddy” host Alex Cooper asked if there was “any law that gives the government the power to make a decision about a man’s body.” (Harris’ critics have pointed out that only men are required to register for the draft.)
“The View”: Most of the buzz around Kamala’s appearance on “The View” has focused on her response to being asked what she would’ve done differently from President Biden.
The answer: “Not a thing comes to mind. … I'm going to have a Republican in my Cabinet. … That will be one of the differences.”
The verdict: The Associated Press’ assessment of Harris’ media blitz suggests things could’ve gone better.
The AP: “The interview was a reminder that friendly media venues — the women of ‘The View’ were nearly rapturous in their embrace of Harris — can be as treacherous for politicians to navigate as hardball journalistic interrogations. And it came at a delicate moment for Harris, whose motorcade whisked her from studio to studio in New York on Tuesday.”
NYU professor Scott Galloway:
The bottom line is you can't play defense in a race this close. You've got to play offense, and you've got to take some risks. … The Manosphere right now, I believe, is still one of the few groups that is up for grabs. [Harris] should absolutely go on Joe Rogan.
Bubba’s Two Cents
American culture is downstream of media, which means we tend to be as smart as the last thing we’ve heard. The Harris campaign almost certainly doesn’t want the last impression voters are left with to be Kamala’s recent media tour (where she was often flailing, even in front of sympathetic interviewers and crowds). As Galloway suggests, the only option left is for Kamala to double down on her press blitz and really swing for the fences. Going on Rogan would definitely be swinging for the fences.