The presidential race kicked off in earnest this week after Joe Biden suspended his campaign and Kamala Harris started hers as the presumptive Democratic nominee.
Driving the news: While Harris won’t be crowned as the Democrats’ official pick until next month’s National Convention, she’s already locked up enough delegates to secure the nomination and has the endorsement of powerful party figures, including the Obamas.
Why it matters: Early polling suggests Harris already has a better shot at winning against Donald Trump this November than Biden had. The Trump campaign no longer has the easy line of attack it had against Biden (that he’s ancient), which Biden eventually came to realize.
- Some Republicans are attacking Harris by calling her childless, promiscuous, and a diversity hire, a line that GOP House leaders have told their subordinates to lay off of.
Big picture: The campaign is looking to meme culture for a boost. Harris supporters are “coconut-pilled,” a nod to her confusing viral soundbite from 2023. Singer Charli XCX called Harris a “brat,” a term of approval referencing her album, and Harris’s team is running with it.
Bottom line: Amidst the post-Biden hype and Beyoncé-accompanied campaign ad, it’s easy to forget that Harris is not that popular and faceplanted when she ran for president in 2020. By quickly going all in on Harris, the Democrats may have passed up on better options.—QH