If the Harris Election Campaign Called Us for Counsel

I’m not holding my breath for a call or text from Jen O’Malley Dillon. I’ve toiled in the tech sector throughout my entire career. What do I know about politics and running a campaign for the president of the United States?

Nada.

With that caveat out of the way, here are a few thoughts for Team Harris, one admittedly from the are-you-crazy school of communications.

• Don’t overthink it. And don’t load up candidate Harris with minutia that she overthinks it.

Going back to the Anderson Cooper exchange after the debate, Harris counters (2:48 in the video below) with, “I’ve got the point you’re making about a one-and-half-hour debate tonight. I’m talking about three and a half years of performance …” She’s aggressive but not combative. It’s all about strength of conviction, not scenario planning for social security.

• Line up Taylor Swift to open the Democratic Convention.

Yes, I know she’s playing at Wembley Stadium in London on August 19th. That shouldn’t be a problem. Let’s remember she put on a concert in Japan and still managed to hop on a private jet to watch what’s-his-name and the Chiefs in the Super Bowl the next day. Again, the time difference works to her advantage. This move would make Kid Rock and the Republican Convention look like amateur hour at the state fair. I guarantee it would bring the house down.

• During media interviews, don’t say, “That’s a good question.”

The journalist already knows it’s a good question. Use other bridging techniques. Mix it up. If you need time to gather your thoughts, we’re happy to conduct a media training session for candidate Harris if that would be useful.

• Share with the voters in early October that you would pardon Trump.

I know, I know. No American is above the law. Still, take the high ground during the sprint to the finish line, explaining that the country needs to devote its energy to moving forward. As a show of empathy, you’re going to let the man enjoy his golden years cheating at golf and resisting fiber in his diet.

• Run a counter offensive against Project 2025.

As my grandma Tilly would say, Project 2025 is meshuggah. Yet, the deliverable is so dense and long that the average person isn’t going to take the time to reach the meshuggah conclusion. Time to flex your digital marketing chops. Select the seven or so most egregious actions in Project 2025; for example, Project 2025 wants to turn back the clock, embrace fossil fuels and pretend climate change doesn’t exist. You capture these points in a single document and offer a roadmap to find these passages in the actual Project 2025. From here, run a Google AdWords campaign against keywords such as [What is Project 2025], [Trump policies], etc. In short, help the voters make sense of this information without having to wade through the morass.

If any of the above intrigues Team Harris, they know where to find me.