By Allyn Tucker
Boston University News Service
As the Democratic nominee for President of the United States, a Kamala Harris victory tonight would be historic. While Harris would become the first female president to serve in office, the honor of becoming the first female major-party nominee for the position belongs to Hillary Clinton.
Clinton’s meticulously planned campaign contrasts Harris’ quick ascent onto the Democratic ticket. But both faced off against Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump, and both grappled with how to make their case against him.
While Trump is currently a divisive topic among all aisles of American politics for nearly a decade, his 2016 campaign for office presented him as an outsider. In a political system which remained largely status-quo, Trump was the untraditional figure some voters turned to for a new approach to the executive office.
“I think it’s fair to say that I didn’t realize how quickly the ground was shifting under all our feet,” Clinton wrote in her memoir, What Happened.
“I was running a traditional presidential campaign with carefully thought-out policies and painstakingly built coalitions, while Trump was running a reality TV show that expertly and relentlessly stoked Americans’ anger and resentment.”
Fast forward to 2024, Harris supporters have already experienced what they believe to be the dangers of a Trump presidency.
“It’s either going to be [Trump] there on day one, walking into that office stewing over his enemies list, or me… walking in on your behalf with my to-do list,” Harris promised on the campaign trail.
Across her campaign, Harris has understood the urgency of earning America’s votes. Unlike Clinton, who notably lost the state of Michigan after focusing resources elsewhere, Harris has emphatically campaigned to swing state voters, with the Democratic campaign visiting both Michigan and Pennsylvania over 20 times since July.
While Trump’s 2016 campaign controversies seemed to fuel his bid for the White House, Clinton’s own controversies caused distrust, which ultimately cost her greatly.
During her time as Secretary of State, Clinton used a private email server rather than a government-issued server, leading to multiple investigations which tainted her image during her campaign. Although multiple FBI investigations came to the conclusion that Clinton should not face criminal trial for her decision, it caused major issues for her public image. In the months leading up to the election, a Washington Post-ABC News poll revealed that only 37% of voters found Clinton to be “honest and trustworthy.”
Harris, on the other hand, stepped into her role with much less time to allow for controversy. Following a debate between Trump and President Joe Biden in June, voters heavily questioned whether Biden’s age and cognitive ability would prevent him from serving another four years in office, ultimately leading to his withdrawal from the race and endorsement of Harris.
While the transition from Biden to Harris occurred quickly, Harris managed to avoid months of personal attacks. The Republican National Convention wrapped up just days before Biden announced his withdrawal, leading the party to misdirect their energy at the wrong candidate.
Then, with just over 100 days until Election Day, the Harris campaign hit the ground running. Playing off of trending popular culture moments such as Charli XCX’s hit album Brat and Chappel Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, Harris’ social platforms blew up, particularly among younger audiences.
The popularity of Harris’ campaign aligned with donations, as Harris broke fundraising records in the months leading up to the election. She raised a record $200 million in the first week of her campaign, and, in the three-month quarter ending on Sept. 30, Harris raised a record $1 billion, allowing her to outspend Trump by a ratio of about 3.5 to 1.
Whether Harris’ efforts were enough to secure her the title of President of the United States remains to be seen.
