Five and a half years ago, I was in Oakland, California, watching then-Senator Kamala Harris kick off her 2020 presidential campaign in front of a crowd of more than 20,000.
It felt like the start of something – joining Barack Obama in 2008 and Hillary Clinton in 2016 as the next history-making Democratic candidate.
By December, her campaign had floundered because of a lack of clear messaging, internal divisions and a candidate not ready for primetime. Strong on paper but too often lacklustre in practice, was the accusation.
Has Harris learned the lessons of her earlier flop? Yesterday’s Wisconsin rally - where that energy and enthusiasm I remembered from Oakland were back - may offer some clues.
Unlike 2019, when a law enforcement background was a liability for Democrats, Harris leaned heavily into her experience as a prosecutor and attorney general. She said she had taken on people like Trump – 'predators, fraudsters and cheaters' – and knew his type.
She spoke about abortion, gun control, voting rights, healthcare and the social safety net. America, she said, wasn’t going back to Trump’s “failed policies”.
She needs this kind of tight message, focused on turning out her base and winning over undecided voters in the handful of battleground states. In 2019, she tried to appeal to everyone and, in the end, convinced no one.
She also needs a more professional, disciplined campaign than 2019 – but she’s inheriting one from Biden that is already up and running nationwide.
Finally, she needs to be steady on her feet. She has a goofy side – all dancing, laughing and coconut trees (more on that below). If she can turn that from a liability to a strength – meme-able evidence that there’s a person behind the politician – she could connect with voters.
The takeaway: Most people who run for president fail. A handful run again, learn from their mistakes and succeed. Harris has three months to show she’s one of that select few.