Will Harris’ campaign strategy lead her to electoral success?

Kamala Harris’ campaign team is employing different strategies in the final weeks running up to the 2024 US presidential election. Two prominent tactics are distancing herself from President Joe Biden and borrowing themes from Donald Trump’s campaign. This raises several questions. Why is Harris’ campaign pursuing these strategies? Will they help her win the White House on Nov. 5?
Many Democratic leaders believe that President Biden has hindered rather than helped the party’s prospects in 2024. Among them is former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who reportedly pressured Biden to exit the race after his poor performance in a debate against Trump early in the summer. His economic record is not impressive and several wars have occurred during his presidency, such as the conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon and between Russia and Ukraine.
Historically, friction often arises between the staff of a sitting president and their vice president when the latter runs for president. This occurred in 2000, when Vice President Al Gore distanced himself from President Bill Clinton, particularly after Clinton’s involvement in several ethical scandals. In 2024, a similar dynamic is playing out. Harris recognizes that Biden’s approval ratings are low, so she is seeking to differentiate herself from him, especially in style. She aims to restore confidence among Democrats who have lost faith in Biden. Her campaign portrays her as a change-maker, conveying that the old guard of the Democratic Party is fading and that she represents the new face of change.

Harris recognizes that Biden’s approval ratings are low, so she is seeking to differentiate herself from him.

Maria Maalouf

Additionally, political observers have noted that Harris is borrowing several themes from her opponent’s campaign. For example, she has adopted Trump’s idea of eliminating taxation on tips for restaurant workers. Republican strategist Frank Luntz commented: “Harris is taking pages out of the Republican playbook … There’s an important use of language, especially her focus on small business issues and describing herself as a capitalist. If you listen to these general statements, she sounds like a moderate Republican. The challenge for the Trump campaign is to move away from character attacks and focus on specific issues and her claims.”
On national security, Trump criticizes Biden and Harris for emboldening America’s adversaries, such as China, Russia and Iran. Harris has used a similar tactic by accusing Trump of being a weak leader that no foreign head of state respects. She said last month: “It’s well known that Donald Trump is weak and wrong on national security and foreign policy. He admires dictators and wants to be a dictator himself.”
However, these tactics are not necessarily winning over the American public. A political strategist noted that borrowing from an opponent’s playbook and relying on personal attacks can be tiresome to voters, who are “tired of the same old playbook, filled with lies, grievances and name-calling.” A complete political separation between Harris and the Biden White House is impossible, as she still needs the Democratic base to win the election. For millions of voters, she represents the preservation of Biden’s legacy. Moreover, Harris cannot fully agree with Trump on economic policies. For instance, while Trump intends to interfere in Federal Reserve policy, Harris firmly disagrees with this approach.
Ultimately, the scope of issues in any presidential campaign should surpass policy differences between a sitting president and their vice president when the latter is running to succeed them. It is also unlikely that voters will see little distinction between two presidential candidates simply because one borrows some themes from the other.

• Maria Maalouf is a Lebanese journalist, broadcaster, publisher, and writer. X: @bilarakib