From Brat Summer to Fascist Fall: The Demise of the Harris Campaign

As someone who's spent decades studying the art of persuasion, I can't help but reflect on Kamala Harris's closing campaign strategy – and what it might teach us about the balance of tactics and vision in high-stakes elections.

In the final weeks of the campaign cycle, Harris's team made a calculated pivot, ramping up her criticism of Donald Trump and amplifying concerns about his authoritarian tendencies. The logic was clear: appeal to independent voters, highlight damning insider critiques and energize the base by sounding the alarm on democracy itself.

But therein lies the rub. While these attacks may have resonated with her core supporters, the effectiveness of this strategy on undecided voters remains questionable. After eight years of nonstop Trump controversies, have persuadable Americans already tuned out the alarm bells?

The real missed opportunity, in my view, was in not better articulating a unifying vision – one that could have cut through the noise and compelled swing voters with a hopeful, solutions-oriented message. When the closing argument becomes solely about your opponent's flaws rather than your own strengths, you've already ceded important psychological territory.

As a marketer, I firmly believe the most sustainable momentum comes from inspiring what's possible, not just preventing what's feared. Voters may show up to reject a perceived threat, but they'll only stay engaged if they're captivated by a positive, purpose-driven alternative.

Ultimately, I think Kamala Harris's campaign illustrates a cautionary tale about the limits of tactical pivots. In the end, voters didn't just want to know what we're running from – they wanted to know what we're running toward. And that's a lesson that transcends any single election cycle.

And yes, I voted for her. And yes, this sucks.

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