Persuading The Undecided
Interviews with undecided voters suggest that Kamala is still failing to reach them. Their comments suggest a certain distrust or lack of faith in her sincerity.
With only a few weeks to go, her campaign has to work quickly and decisively to dispel the doubts and build confidence in her leadership abilities.
It’s not impossible. But it has to be addressed immediately.
The issue isn’t one of substance but is rather one of style - style that she’s displayed beautifully in her speeches, her debate with Trump, and in informal settings. She’s also on very sure ground when she talk about women and their reproductive rights.
Her uncertainty - or anxiety, or lack of confidence, or defensiveness or selection - shows up when she’s asked questions that require nuance or detail, particular on foreign and economic policy. That’s when she gives canned, cliched answers or resorts to legalistic “word salad.”
In a long and incisive article, The New York Times examines the difficulties she’s had in doing one-on-one interviews with “serious” journalists. It cites examples of times when simple, direct answers could have shown her at her best - smart, thoughtful, honest, and assertive.
A few thoughts -
Review her”bad” answers and refine them. Make all answers simple and to the point.
Interviews are not a court of law. Just keep it simple and tell the truth. If there’s uncertainty or ambiguity about a past or future issue, say so and explain how a Harris administration plans to address it.
Move past personal exposition, especially when it’s irrelevant to policies. (Everyone knows by now she grew up middle-class; it’s not necessarily something anyone cares about, but if she does mention make it count by noting she understands the concerns of the country).
Speak in broad, idealistic terms and only cite policies that further those points (some, like the $25,000 credit to first-time homeowners, have been made to death and sometimes trivialize the bigger point of working to provide affordable housing to the country)
When questioned about current policies, emphasize that it’s a new day, that Democrats helped the country recover from the Trump recession and are ready to build on the Biden administration’s accomplishments. Express hope that Republicans are ready to stop their unpatriotic intransigence and that united this country is poised to be even greater than it is.
Don’t apologize for the border. Pivot to Trump’s determination to undermine the country and express confidence in our ability to secure the border and our economic growth.
On the Middle East, emphasize the continued efforts to achieve a cease-fire and a permanent peace. Place the blame on the warring parties even while promising support to both Israel and the Palestinians. Don’t get pinned down on details.
Note that you negotiate settlements done quietly not in public. Provide hope to both sides.
Learn from Trump. The man couldn’t give a cogent answer if his life depended on it. But he knows how to deliver promising sound bites with blithe confidence in himself.
That confidence works for him. It can work for Kamala.
Remember the adage: “If you can fake sincerity (or confidence) you’ve got it made.”