Since President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid and endorsed his vice president as his successor, the political world has witnessed a surge of enthusiasm for Kamala Harris’ nascent campaign.
And while the election is still settling into its new, post-Biden equilibrium, initial indicators suggest that Harris’ impressively choreographed explosion onto the scene has transformed the race into a competitive contest for Democrats after months of malaise. In the past week, a variety of public polling averages have shown Harris pulling ahead of Trump in enough key states to make it possible that she could secure the White House, after Biden had trailed in those battlegrounds for months.
To be sure, there are many factors fueling Harris’ rapid rise. On the one hand, some of the outpouring of support can be attributed to Democrats’ eagerness to turn the page on weeks of intra-party infighting. On the other, polls have long indicated that a significant portion of the electorate viewed a Biden-Trump rematch as a choice between two candidates they didn’t particularly care for and, as such, many Americans longed for a different option. Harris’ ascension as a relatively fresh-faced alternative appears to scratch that itch.
But there is another, less traditional driver supercharging Kamala-mania that cannot be overlooked:
Vibes.
That may sound like hocus-pocus to some of you. But after several cycles of presidential candidates who were eminently qualified for the job but may not have been the most inspirational figures on the campaign trail, Democrats are partying like it’s 2008 all over again.
From record-breaking fundraising numbers to raucous rally crowds to a surge in volunteer sign-ups, for the first time in what feels like forever, fun is back on the agenda for Democrats.
Like so much of our political culture today, this outpouring of excitement rose on the internet first and spread in the real world from there. Fueled by her identity as a younger, higher energy and somewhat offbeat public figure, Harris’ abundant enthusiasm and quirky sense of humor are eminently memeable — and the extremely online among us have not disappointed.
If you’ve spent any time at all on social media over the past month or so, chances are you’ve seen what I have. Harris memes are everywhere: the “coconut tree” remixes, the “brat” summer content, the cooking videos on YouTube and clip after clip of her unique laugh, which has been transformed from a perceived liability to an endearing idiosyncrasy. And with the recent selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, the meme train has only continued to pick up speed.
In the cultural parlance of this digital tsunami, Harris is portrayed as America’s favorite aunt — whip-smart and a little bit sassy, cool with just the right amount of approachable whimsy mixed in. Walz, meanwhile, fills the role of the folksy Midwestern dad who wears camo hats, tells corny jokes and always shoots straight, both literally and metaphorically.
And to their credit, the Harris campaign has gone all the way in on fun. Not only have they embraced the memes that so many love to make and share, but both Harris and Walz repeatedly invoke a desire to “bring back the joy” to politics, even casting themselves as “joyful warriors” during their introductory barnstorming tour through five battleground states. (The latter term is not new to American politics, of course — see the GOP’s own “happy warrior” Tim Scott, for example. But it’s an apt reflection of the propulsive optimism pumping through the Harris-Walz campaign at the moment.)
Doubling down on joy is clearly an intentional, strategic choice — not just because it draws a vivid contrast with Trump’s considerably darker appraisal of the country’s present and future state, but also because the Harris team understands that fun is an underappreciated and underutilized tool that packs an immense amount of political power.
It’s easy to understand why: There are serious things on the line in elections. Injecting an appropriate amount of levity into the proceedings — without crossing the line into trivializing them — is such a delicate dance that many candidates and campaigns simply avoid it altogether. Why take the risk, particularly when Americans have been in a perpetually sour mood about our politics for decades now?
It’s an admittedly tough line to walk — but if a candidate can figure out how to tap-dance along it in just the right way, there’s ample evidence that the reward can significantly outweigh the risks. For example, studies highlight the transformative role of emotions like enthusiasm in mobilizing voters by making participation in the political process more appealing, while humor — particularly through memes — can simplify complex issues and foster a sense of community, especially among younger audiences. (For real world corroboration of this effect, just take a look at Harris’ meteoric gains among young voters in recent polls.) Similarly, in-person campaign events designed to maximize fun and engagement have also been shown to not only create temporary excitement for attendees, but also to build a strong sense of enduring solidarity among supporters.
For the moment, Harris and Walz appear to have captured this particular brand of lightning in an unconventional bottle — and they’ve ridden it back into contention after all looked lost just a few weeks ago when Trump and his allies were the ones on top of the world. Remember the raucous GOP convention where Republicans were riding high and Trump’s return to power felt imminent? The New York Times even dubbed it “a moment of jubilation for a party that feels it can already taste victory.”
It’s barely been a month, but that already feels like a lifetime ago.
As we draw nearer to Labor Day and the “official” start of the traditional campaign season, the challenge for the Harris campaign will be to sustain its current momentum and avoid peaking too early. With many big, potentially election-turning moments still to come — including this week’s high-stakes Democratic National Convention and at least one high-profile presidential debate on the horizon — that is easier said than done.
But continuing to lean into their candidate’s unique strengths and leveraging the political power of fun will give the sitting “Vibes President” a fighting chance that Democrats didn’t have a few weeks ago.
Steve Pierce, a contributing writer for Deseret, is a Democratic strategist and communications consultant who advises campaigns, causes and brands on matters of message and strategy. He is a senior director at Bully Pulpit International, a communications firm based in Washington D.C., that is working for the Harris campaign. Pierce is not professionally involved in the campaign.