Harris energy evokes Obama campaign for Democrats

For Democrats, it’s 2008 all over again. 

Vice President Harris is drawing huge crowds in August, a typically sleepy month on the political calendar.

Millions of dollars are pouring into her campaign, and she’s breaking fundraising records. Groups of “white dudes” and “cat ladies” have rushed to her side, along with the big money and star power of Hollywood. 

Harris’s image has found its way onto the iconic Shepard Fairey “Hope” posters and T-shirts, a visual that ties her to former President Obama’s 2008 campaign, when he stole the spotlight and cemented his own rock star status in the party. 

Democrats say this surge of enthusiasm for Harris hasn’t been seen since the Obama campaign, which prompted organic support from Democrats and independent voters. 

Obama went on to a landslide victory, an outcome Harris and Democrats would be happy to repeat but are not anticipating.

They expect the election will be razor-tight and come down to a half-dozen swing states. They also suspect Harris’s extended honeymoon period will likely end. But they are increasingly bullish as polls move in her direction and her hot streak continues.

After Harris appeared at a Nevada rally that drew approximately 12,000 supporters, Stephanie Cutter — who recently joined the Harris campaign as an adviser of strategy messaging and previously served as an adviser to Obama during his first term and served as deputy campaign manager for his reelection campaign — made the comparison to Obama in 2008.

“Haven’t seen anything like this in 16 years,” Cutter wrote on social platform X.

Democratic strategist Joel Payne, who worked on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 bid, agreed with Cutter’s assessment. 

“It’s the first pure joy presidential campaign on the Democratic side in quite some time,” Payne said. “The surge in energy feels like the closest thing we have experienced since Obama ’08.

“Given the injection of energy and boost in enthusiasm, Democrats now have more options with the type of winning coalition that can be put together this fall,” Payne added. “That Obama coalition is back in play in a real way.” 

In addition to Cutter, Harris recently brought a string of Obama A-listers to the campaign, including David Plouffe, who ran the former president’s 2008 operation. Mitch Stewart, who helped Obama win the Iowa caucuses in 2008, and Jen Palmieri, who served as communications director in the Obama White House, are also part of the campaign.

Jen O’Malley Dillon, a trusted Obama hand, remains as campaign chair, a position she also served when President Biden was the assumed Democratic candidate for 2024. Obama’s ad-maker Jim Margolis is also expected to have the same role for the vice president’s campaign. 

While Harris has focused on a theme of freedom, a subject dovetailing with the prized Democratic issue of abortion rights, she has also used some of Obama’s forward-looking language that evokes his campaign. 

“We’re not going back,” Harris has said at recent rallies, echoing a line the former president consistently used. 

The campaign has invoked Obama so much since Harris took over as the Democratic nominee, some Republicans have accused the former president of “secretly” running the show behind the scenes. 

“If you’re watching the campaign now, some of Obama’s [top advisers including] David Plouffe and others are now working on the campaign,” former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said on 77 WABC’s “The Cats Roundtable” on Sunday.

“You’re getting the Obamas shifting from running the White House to now running this campaign,” McCarthy said.  

Obama waited several days after Biden withdrew from the race to officially endorse Harris, seeking to remain above the fray while the party galvanized around the vice president. 

“He clearly wanted to allow for some breathing room to let the process play out,” one former Obama aide said. “And that’s typical for the Obama brand. He doesn’t like to appear like he’s tipping the scales in any direction.”

For years — even before she became a senator — Democrats have dubbed Harris as a “female Barack Obama.”

“It’s a big compliment but at the same time, I also don’t think anyone wants to have that title either,” one Democratic strategist said. “Politicians like to be their own name, they want to be known for paving their own path.” 

Jamal Simmons, who served as Harris’s communications director until last year, disputed the comparison between the two principals. 

“Kamala Harris is not Barack Obama. She’s a very unique political figure, but she’s also very hopeful,” Simmons said. “People feel very strongly about her, and she has inspired lots of activism. 

“People feel good; people feel happy,” Simmons added. “It’s not just eat-your-peas politics. Democrats win when we have a big, hopeful, excited message that gets people animated about voting and participating in the campaign. Winning Democratic campaigns have this kind of energy.” 

In recent days, not only has Harris been able to pack arenas, she has also risen in the polls, particularly in key battleground states including Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. 

A New York Times/Siena College survey released over the weekend showed Harris with a 4-point lead — 50 percent to 46 percent — over her opponent, former President Trump, in those key states. 

Now with the chaos of the Biden withdrawal behind them, Democrats say Harris needs to inject policy proposals — particularly on the economy and rising costs — to maintain her enthusiasm. 

Harris is expected to reveal an economic policy platform later this week. “It’ll be focused on the economy and what we need to do to bring down costs and also strengthen the economy,” she told reporters last week. 

Democrats close to the campaign say Harris will also need to sit down for a major interview in the coming days as well as hold a press conference where reporters can ask more nuanced questions about Harris’s policy proposals. 

“The campaign is like a latte with a lot of foam on top,” Simmons said. “But once that excitement — the foam — comes down, there needs to be some strong coffee underneath to satisfy the American public.”