In Royal Oak, Michigan, within a small community theater in suburban Detroit, Vice President Kamala Harris participated in a recent forum where she was asked to share her life story for voters still familiarizing themselves with her. This type of inquiry is typically posed to new candidates, yet Harris faced it less than two weeks before the November 5th election, even as millions had already cast their votes. This situation highlighted a key challenge of her presidential campaign.
When asked about time, Harris humorously responded, “How much time do we have?” indicating the limited time she had to connect with voters. Time is the most precious resource for any candidate, and Harris faced historical constraints. She began her campaign only three months ago after Democratic President Joe Biden withdrew from the race. Throughout this period, she has encountered voters expressing a desire to know more about her and her governance style.
Her public engagements often consisted of large rallies with enthusiastic crowds, where she delivered variations of her standard stump speech. Recently, she added events in more intimate settings, such as low-key church services and black box theater discussions, allowing for more revealing conversations. To the Michigan audience, she stated, “I have lived a full life,” detailing her roles as a wife, mother, sister, and godmother, along with her love for cooking. At 60 years old, Harris is relatively new to the national political stage.
Much of her career transpired outside Washington, serving as a prosecutor and state attorney general in California, followed by a four-year tenure in the Senate and an unsuccessful 2020 presidential bid. Her vice presidency raised her profile but not to the extent typical for a candidate at this career stage.
Kevin Madden, a political strategist involved in three presidential campaigns, noted that Harris remains relatively unknown as a candidate, explaining that building a national profile capable of enduring a presidential campaign’s demands takes years. Conversely, Biden had decades of public service experience, including eight years as vice president. Democrat Barack Obama built his profile starting with John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign, while the Bush family brand evolved through multiple campaigns over two decades. Madden emphasized the significant challenge Harris faced in trying to establish and conduct a unique presidential campaign within just 108 days.
Meanwhile, Republican Donald Trump, known for his reality television background, had near-universal name recognition before his 2016 campaign and has continued campaigning since losing the 2020 election. For Harris and her aides, the abbreviated campaign presented both opportunities and obstacles, leaving them to make strategic decisions about campaign locations, topics, and engagement.
Aides have structured the campaign in phases, initially focusing on securing the nomination and deterring potential challengers. Subsequently, the campaign aimed to introduce Harris to the public, emphasizing her biography and governance philosophy, particularly on economic matters, as voters sought more clarity about her positions.
Throughout her campaign journey, Harris returned to Washington for vice presidential duties, highlighting governmental competence in response to natural disasters and reinforcing her national security credentials. Eric Schultz, former deputy White House press secretary under Obama, acknowledged the challenges Harris faced due to the truncated race but praised her efforts to maximize her campaign activities.
In recent weeks, Harris shared insights into the summer day when Biden withdrew, entrusting her with the campaign. She discussed her faith, reflecting on the profound political moment as an opportunity to connect with voters. Harris recounted how she sought spiritual guidance and prayer, indicating that she prays daily.
Her event in suburban Detroit was one of three in critical Midwestern states, where she joined Liz Cheney, a notable Republican critic of Trump who endorsed the Democrat, to engage with a moderator and audiences of undecided voters. These settings displayed a different side of Harris, appearing more relaxed and conversational, a contrast to her rally persona.
Rita Peterson, a forum participant, was impressed by Harris’ ability to connect with the audience. The discussions with Cheney aimed to appeal to Republican voters concerned about a second Trump presidency, particularly following Trump’s efforts to contest the 2020 election results and the violent January 6th U.S. Capitol riot.
In the campaign’s final days, Harris focused on contrasting her vision with that of Trump. She planned to revisit the site near the White House linked with the events of January 6th, aiming to highlight the contrast between defending democracy and inciting political chaos. Harris is scheduled to deliver a speech at the Ellipse on Tuesday, urging the nation to “turn the page” just a week before Election Day.