Kamala Harris compared to Taylor Swift in incredibly strange rant

The Republican party and their loyal followers were riding a red wave of optimism just a few days ago, as bullet-evading Donald Trump and his nominated vice president J.D. Vance spoke at the convention. Ahead in the polls, and with an ever more frail opponent in Joe Biden, another term in the White House for Trump seemed inevitable.

Then came the incumbent’s decision to withdraw.

As Biden said goodbye to another four years, so too did he endorse his own vice president to step into the race. Kamala Harris did so without a pause, seemingly always having been ready, and the whole narrative around the election flipped.

Republicans target vitriol at Kamala Harris

From claiming that Harris has done nothing to deserve the role (see below for more on that), to mocking her laugh or saying she was just a DEI pick, MAGA fans are going in hard on the insults already. VP nomination Vance even suggested that she and her husband having no children was a terrible sign for America’s future. George Washington will be turning in his patriotic grave!

Then came the latest outburst from Ben Shapiro – you’ll remember him from recent hits like “Barbie movie won’t be a success” – who is doing the rounds saying that he’s “never seen so much manufactured enthusiasm for anyone outside of maybe Taylor Swift.” Now, of course, sound bites like this are likely just more of Shapiro aiming to grab attention. And it has worked, at least until the next one comes around, which won’t be long.

But it feels like rather a weak shot to take. Firstly, from watching and listening to all the reaction since Harris stepped into the limelight – including record funds raised – there is not much that feels manufactured, unlike you could very much argue, at Trump rallies. Let’s see if she gets on the merch bandwagon, although not having millions of dollars in legal fees and fines to scrape together may make this less probable.

The second reason this shot may backfire, never mind reach its target, is because Ms Swift could be a rather influential player in the election. She has not said a lot to date, although has certainly hinted in the past at the U.S. being better without Trump at the helm, but is seen as someone who could inspire a huge impetus in younger people voting in November, which would, it appears, benefit the Harris ticket most.

Let’s see if this comment from Shapiro, along with the rest of them, as well as trivial other differences between the parties like, you know, a woman’s right to choose, sparks the singer into action. It would certainly be one for the Eras, and talk about a double whammy of enthusiasm.

What has Kamala Harris done in her career to warrant my vote?

One of the problems that can arise in politics in the United States, and elsewhere for that matter, is that personalities at the top grab attention and gain our affection. Unfortunately, characters are not what affect our day-to-day lives, although clearly a charismatic president with the ability to engage with people with empathy, including other foreign leaders, rather than rub them up the wrong way is always a bonus.

No, party policies is where the difference are made, and that is where our attention should really lie. Given that Harris has been in Biden’s shadow – which is customary for VPs – over these last few years, it’s not surprising that many voters are unaware of her achievements to date. Check out the above video for some examples of her merits, made before the ticket was changed.