WAS What Adults are Saying About the Boring Way Harris is Winning

A persistent, tedious, grinding approach is paying off

As we near (finally) the homestretch in the ‘24 election things are beginning to play out in a way that is a recognizable from of an earlier time in America—like 15 years ago.

Then and for decades before, much of life was lived in ways amid daily struggles faced by all. Americans plodded one-day-at-a-time toward pursuit of something. It was an approach that revolved around persistence, objectified goals, and to a lesser degree, planning.

More recent life has pushed this approach aside to a certain degree because goals and plans are simply too syrupy and get in the way of fun, vibes and what might be “trending” for the next 15 minutes. Despite that attempts to live an affirming life and its virtues remains a favorite of many who try to live in the adult world. In that world progress, repair, salvation, healing and what ever else is pursued are known to be small increment pleasures.

However, significant technology, cultural and economic changes have invited mindsets where degrees of change to the above are increasingly gauged in larger increments. Propagandists from the “big three” of religion, the corporate world and politics routinely espouse about many things needing a big shift in behavior (or more typically) monetary response. This helps fuel a cultural chain reaction where too many experiences today must head where someone must either arrive at over stated certitude or a mic drop moment. If only.

In contrast the unicorn Presidential campaign of Kamala Harris continues to be an intriguing paradox that is leveraging past norms to encounter the new. Short of Joe Biden’s death or infirmity post convention, at the beginning of ‘24, no prognosticator could reliably see she as the Democrat’s candidate for President. By the time of the June debate the die had been cast for competitors and sides chosen—until they weren’t.

Regardless of outcome, what followed in pivoting to Harris as replacement was unprecedented and will long be analyzed. When named the nominee through another historical oddity of pre-convention canvassing, Harris gulped hard, took stock and just like her old boss, went to work. That work has been careful, purposeful and whether planned or not, devoid of mic drop moments.

That was until her September debate with Trump where he looked like a Mid American Conference school going to play Alabama in a September payday to keep the athletic department afloat. As he unspooled with his usual maniacal drivel, she exploited the nonsense so all knew who was destined for the roller coaster, and also who, was headed for the kiddie rides. Her performance was stated fiercely and when she wasn’t lowering the boom, convincingly dropped that mic more than once.

But that’s been it! Otherwise Harris’ campaign has mimicked the one foot in front of the other lifestyle that for so long was a staple of American behavior. As with any candidate, she has been rightly criticized at times but remains undaunted about planning her work and working that plan. Just like a leaky faucet that irritates with its constant drip…drip….drip, against Trump it is working. Barely 60 days into her candidacy she has erased what had grown to a notable Trump advantage and today clearly has more paths to 270 electoral votes than her opponent. She has done this in a persistent way where most days bring for her the balance of good news.

Meanwhile her husband—an admirable mensch—her veep and his wife are all campaigning in the same plodding, engaging, and often plain style. Vice-President candidate Walz occasionally summons his inner football coach and goes cornball but consider that against his opponent. They do their jobs, campaign, (as always) ask for money and then at any moment after may show in church basements ready to eat Jello salad.

And so it goes more drip…drip…drip like. One day she has increased the polling gender gap in her favor. The next a slew of endorsements from long time Republican elites who simply cannot withstand another Trump Presidency. The day after a half a tick up in three swing states—that again-is doubled a week later. So consistent is the trend in such small, persistent increments one wonders is she running for President or repaving a transcontinental highway?

To those not watching closely the progress may be imperceptible. But it’s there one step, mile and state after another and little of it suggests more catastrophic circumstances for the 13 stripes. Against Trump the contrast of style, civility and sensibility is astonishing. When given the chance in early summer, Biden’s age and chromosomes got in the way to make this contrast. Harris has been shrewd and amazingly collected to not make that same error and her daily efforts always leave room for her secret weapon to roam—Trump’s mouth.

Of course all of this has a certain tedium to it and is especially absent of sexy headlines needed to sustain an electoral horse race. Each new increment of progress is met with freshly baked worries of this or that because ambiguity is the precursor to clicks. You must have one to spur the other. But you don’t need every candidate to surrender to such a backward model. All candidates must move hearts and minds (which may or may not) results in clicks and likes. At great peril too many continue to wrongly equate the two. It’s nice to see an adult who knows this as she slowly plows forward to an historic victory. America is on the verge of actually doing something to help itself—elect a President who seldom drops the mic on anyone, plans her work, and then works her plan. How refreshing!