Surprise
Prior to the Biden-Trump debate in June, I said here that you could tell if one side or the other thought things went badly based upon a campaign’s reaction in the immediate aftermath. For example, on the Trump side, I said that if he revealed his vice-presidential choice that night in the spin room, it was a sign things went badly in the debate because of the effort to change the narrative and the topic in the news cycle right away. Obviously, that did not happen.
And while many of us said Mr. Trump missed some opportunities in this past Tuesday’s debate, there was no news from the Trump side other than a declaration of victory. Not the case on the Harris side, however.
Analysts were still figuring out what to say on the post-debate coverage when entertainer Taylor Swift announced on Instagram that she was supporting Harris. Not exactly a surprise, given Ms. Swift’s past endorsements and public stances on issues. But the timing was odd. These things are coordinated by teams of people on both sides, so it’s not like she watched the debate and then thumbed out the response on her phone with her cat on her lap, having just then made the decision.
And arguably, that endorsement will carry more weight than anything that happened in the debate.
Now some are saying that the Harris side thought things went so badly for their candidate in the debate, that they needed to change the narrative and fast…so they played the Taylor Swift card earlier than they might have planned. Some analysts say the Swift endorsement was this election’s “October Surprise,” and to call for it now is a bad sign for Harris. Others say the GOP should just “shake it off”.
Yes, that is a reference to a Taylor Swift song. And yes, it’s the only one I even remotely know.
Makes one wonder if that was the surprise and Democrats are out of cards to play…or what else might be yet to come as early voting starts in some states.
