“The reason we’re rallying behind Kamala right now is because all of the congressional community is in internal discussions and Democrats can’t afford to sit back in this race,” Way to Win Executive Director Tory Gabito said in an interview Wednesday. “We have to keep moving forward.”
A memo circulated by Way to Win called for an expanded social media, influencer and content creator strategy, paid advertising in key states and more research. The group released new battleground state polls on Tuesday, arguing that Harris will draw strong support from younger voters, those who don’t like Biden or Donald Trump and independents.
A Way to Win has not taken a position on whether Biden should remain the nominee, but its leaders encourage Democrats to have an open discussion about the right path forward. “It doesn’t have to be a war, it can be a discussion!” Way to Win co-founder Jennifer Fernandez Ancona wrote on social media on Thursday.
The effort will be funded in part from what Way to Win calls a “black swan fund,” money it sets aside at the beginning of an election cycle in case of unexpected developments. Another poll was conducted Wednesday looking at potential downsides for Harris, according to a Democrat familiar with the effort.
“Whenever a ‘new’ face assumes a position of power, there will always be backlash. As the highest-ranking Black woman in American history, Vice President Harris will be especially vulnerable to mainstream narratives that degrade women, particularly women of color,” the group’s memo said.
Those most eager to see Harris come out on top have remained quiet for now, as her expanded camp has signaled she fully supports Biden and Biden ultimately has the power to decide whether to continue in the race.
But that hasn’t stopped research and communications planning in various quarters, both within and outside the party, from moving forward.
“The reality is that she’s already under attack from Republicans, even though no change of nominee is imminent,” said a Democrat sympathetic to Harris, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly. “So it would make a lot of sense for there to be an outside effort to support her strengths and her record, just assuming she’s going to be the running mate.”
The Republican National Committee has been posting video montages on its social media channels of Ms Harris repeating the same rhetoric and laughing awkwardly in various speeches, and the Trump campaign on Wednesday called her “low IQ Kamala.”
In one sign of things to come, the Trump campaign released an online ad this week called “The Great Kamala Cover-up,” which juxtaposes footage of Harris testifying to Biden’s presidential fitness and intellectual influence with an image of a bewildered Biden.
“Kamala has been lying to us about Biden for years,” the ad states.
Advisers to the Trump campaign said there was little question how Trump would go after Harris.
“We’re going to give her all of the downsides of Biden, but she doesn’t have any of the upsides of Biden’s independence,” said the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal strategy.
Emily’s List, a group created to support female Democratic candidates, announced plans to spend $10 million to support Harris in the next election in 2023. A survey the group conducted in May found that Harris would be particularly effective at communicating with voters on issues such as abortion and gun violence.
“We have always believed this election would be won on reproductive rights, and that Vice President Harris would play a key role in winning by helping voters understand that our fundamental freedoms are at stake,” the group’s executive director, Jessica Mackler, said in a statement. “She has long been the target of sexist and racist attacks, and EMILYS List is committed to defending her.”
