In a recent interview, the team behind Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign explained what went wrong in her bid for the White House and took a look at what might have changed the outcome.
David Plouffe, a senior adviser, admitted that the short campaign—just 107 days—made it difficult for Harris to stand out or build a strong message. “We paid a price for such a short campaign,” he said. The team also pointed out that the media seemed to hold Harris to a much higher standard than Donald Trump, which added to the challenges they faced.
The campaign was thrown off course by several factors. First, Harris only had a few months to get her message across, leaving her struggling to differentiate herself from Joe Biden, especially after he dropped out and she became the Democratic nominee. “In a 107-day race, we just didn’t have enough time,” said Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, the campaign chair. She also defended the focus on Trump, saying it wasn’t enough to just warn voters about what a second term under him would look like—they needed to make a more positive case for Harris.
Harris’ team also faced serious setbacks, like Hurricane Dorian, which interrupted two weeks of campaigning. Despite all the challenges, they stuck to their plan and worked hard to get her message out to voters. Dillon said they did much better in areas where Harris campaigned, but “the headwinds were tough” everywhere else.
Harris herself addressed the election results, acknowledging that it didn’t go the way they hoped but expressing pride in what they achieved in such a short time. “What we did in 107 days was unprecedented,” she said.
When asked about the controversial Trump attack ad on transgender rights, Plouffe and his team downplayed its impact. They tested several response ads but didn’t think it would have changed much in the race. “It wasn’t driving voter behavior like the economy was,” Plouffe said.
They also defended their decision to reach out to moderate Republicans, saying it was essential to not only win over their base but to also “dominate the moderate vote.” Another key moment came when they tried to get Harris on Joe Rogan’s popular podcast, but scheduling issues got in the way. Harris was ready to go, but the timing just didn’t work out.
The team also took aim at the media, criticizing the questions Harris faced in interviews. They felt the questions were often too superficial and didn’t help voters understand the issues. “They weren’t informing voters who were trying to learn more,” Dillon said, with Cutter adding, “Just dumb.”
In the end, the campaign leaders stood by their strategy but recognized the tough external challenges they faced. Despite the loss, they remain proud of how they handled a difficult situation.
