When Kamala first entered the presidential race, we were inundated with clips of her unhinged laughter, her coconut tree context, her dancing with kids, and declarations of “brat.” She coasted on memes, personable anecdotes, smiles, and waves. She avoided interactions with the media, and took weeks to clarify her policy (and arguably still hasn’t actually done that, because while she finally posted her positions on her website almost two full months after becoming the presumptive nominee, she’s struggled to answer basic questions on basic issues, and is seemingly incapable of going 48 hours without contradicting herself).
But we were told that didn’t matter, because this election wasn’t about substance, it was about vibes.
That would have been fine if Kamala Harris was capable of beating Donald Trump in a vibe campaign. But there’s literally no circumstance where that’s possible.
This isn’t about my personal preferences or politics. This is objective analysis.
I won’t pretend that Kamala Harris is completely devoid of personality or charisma. There’s something campy about her. She’s this total bimbo that would be working at the DMV in any timeline that made sense. I feel like she’d make incredible reality television, and be one of the most successful Real Housewives Bravo has ever seen. She’s in a permanent state of inebriation that would almost be impressive if she weren’t a heartbeat away from the nuclear codes. She’s always talking about her little recipes and her garden. If she was one of the relatives at your boyfriend’s Thanksgiving, I feel like she’d be the most fun to sit next to.
But against Trump, she simply can’t compete on presence or power of persona.
One of the clips that initially went viral following the announcement that Harris would replace Biden on the ticket showed her explaining her turkey brining methods to a reporter’s husband between filming for MSNBC. Even I have to admit, it seemed like a genuine interaction. It offered a small but impactful glimpse into who she is outside of her political career that made her seem down to earth, likable, and multi dimensional.
But the issue is that Trump creates moments like this constantly and effortlessly whereas Harris hasn’t been able to recreate the magic of the turkey video once despite multiple attempts.
Early last month, following her highly anticipated (and disastrous) first interview, she posted a video to her Twitter account, clearly trying to gain ground in the vibe campaign as her real campaign floundered.
Everything charming about the original video went out the window when the campaign tried to replicate its success, because Kamala barely passes the vibe check, and the people insane or stupid enough to work for her aren’t allowed within a hundred yards of the vibe check. It was forced, awkward and almost painful to watch. There are porn stars with more promising acting futures.
Before she took her first interview, and shortly after announcing Tim Walz as her running mate, she sat down with her VP to discuss “white guy tacos,” their favorite music, and the orange Chevy Camaro Walz bought as his first car.
It wasn’t the worst thing in the world, but the only people it moved the needle for were already on her payroll.
They shared a video of her, her husband and her running mate scouring a gas station for Doritos (as her administration was suing the establishment) in what was supposed to be a humanizing, candid moment, only for the illusion to be shattered by her campaign uploading a second version of the contrived interaction.
Trump dominates Harris in aura points, in part due to the fact that she’s trying too hard. Nothing she’s doing feels authentic. She’s sitting in rooms full of theater kids and affirmative action hires, following a political “strategy” that seems like it was conceived in a Nathan For You/Veep crossover, because she doesn’t care who she has to pretend to be, so long as she gets to be president.
She’s trying on accents like Dee Reynolds or Michael Scott, not because she thinks it’s funny (which I think we’d all respect more), but because she thinks it will endear her to the blacks and Hispanics she’s hemorrhaging support from. She’s telling the world she’s a “middle class kid” when her dad’s family owned slaves and her mother’s father was a diplomat, growing up in the wealthiest enclaves of California and Canada. And with an upbringing like that, she’s insisting that she spent a summer working at McDonald’s.
Compare that to President Trump – especially following his McDonald’s shift in Philadelphia. He showed up in his signature Brioni suit, his renowned sense of humor, his natural curiosity and perhaps most importantly, an indisputable appreciation for the brand and product.
Despite the shocking juxtaposition of a billionaire and former president working the fry station and handing out drive thru orders, it worked, because Trump isn’t an average billionaire or an average politician.
Depending on which way you vote and where you get your news, you might doubt some of his claims or claims made about him. You might think he’s lied about how much money he’s made, or his abortion position, or his tax returns…but I don’t understand how anyone could think he’s lying about who he is.
Whether he’s behind the counter at McDonald’s or a Mar-a-Lago ballroom, he’s the same guy, in the same suit, with the same quirks, the same character, and the same unmatched energy.
I literally don’t think I could keep track of all the iconic moments he’s given the American people this summer alone if I tried.
Any objective person can admit he’s said and done a lot of funny things at his rallies and online.
But I think the moment that most succinctly captures Trump’s aura came moments after the first assassination attempt on his life, with blood splattered on his face and the Secret Service trying to rush him off stage. In that chaos, full of adrenaline, he had the vision, clarity and strength to stop, raise his fist in the air, and give America one of the most powerful displays of defiance in the history of our country.
If a bullet struck Kamala at a rally, the best she’d be able to offer is maniacal laughter, and that’s why even if policy didn’t matter, and voters were deciding the election based solely on their involuntary, instinctive responses to each candidate, she still wouldn’t be able to win it.
what do you think?