One of the biggest challenges for any presidential candidate is finding a way to project strength in an authentic fashion. For that matter, to just have an unscripted moment that gives voters an insight into the candidate’s resolve and sincerity.
These moments are hard to come by, and running for high office is largely about crafting strategic messaging and having the discipline as a candidate to say it again and again. It is similar to the science of advertising — companies don’t spend millions of dollars to repeat commercials for no reason. They are drilling it into our minds.
It’s also incredibly difficult to script something that will come across as authentic. The very concept is oxymoronic. That’s why we remember the real game-changing moments in presidential campaigns, for they are rare. A few:
Ronald Reagan’s “I am PAYING for this microphone.” (1980)
Bill Clinton’s “Sister Souljah Moment” (1992).
Hillary Clinton’s “I just don’t want to see us go back.” (2008 prior to New Hampshire Primary)
Barack Obama’s speech about his racist pastor, Jeremiah Wright.
These moments usually happen when a candidate says or does something that goes against the grain. Something that surprises, in a refreshing way to voters who have not yet made their decision.
But sometimes, especially with the most disciplined of candidates, it can be just about showing voters some of their real self. This is difficult when you know that every single thing you say and do in public is being watched live by a vast audience. Imagine a universal fishbowl.
Hillary Clinton’s remark cited above, and the tears that came with it, didn’t come until just days before the N.H. Primary. That moment turned it around for her and she won the state. But she soon returned to form. She was as disciplined as they come.
The irony? After losing the general election, Hillary gave an inspirational concession speech that was sincere to the bone — because she could finally be herself. The same thing happened to Mitt Romney, John McCain and John Kerry. They didn’t get that iconic, memorable moment of strength or sincerity during their general election campaigns — but all gave concession speeches that were straight from the heart and surprised a whole lot of people.
All of this brings me to the Kamala Harris interview with Brett Baier last night on FOX News. Many of the Vice President’s supporters wondered why she was doing the interview in the first place, as former President Donald Trump has refused to face the heat of any additional debates, and has not appeared on any adversarial media.
Baier is known as about the most balanced actual news anchor on the network. It’s a reputation earned over his years at FOX, and his reputation for fairness was likely why the Harris campaign chose his program.
But in Baier’s first question — and in what many viewers perceived as an outlandish number of interruptions in just the first two minutes — you could tell that this was going to be a hot one all the way through. And it was.
But Baier was actually doing Harris a favor, whether he (or she) knew it. Harris, who is in the same league of being disciplined as Kerry, Romney and Secy. Clinton, has been criticized in this campaign for repeating herself to the point of putting viewers to sleep (myself included).
Yet under Baier’s antagonizing questions and cutoffs — which, by the way, is fair game for any interviewer who snags an interviewee — the Vice President was forced to get visibly angry. She could not help herself at a certain point. After trying to be civil for the first several minutes, and making polite pleas for Baier to let her answer questions, she’d finally had enough. Harris pointed at Baier and in a raised voice let him have it about a factually inaccurate representation he was making about Trump’s remarks.
As Harris leaned in and gave it to Baier, I immediately recognized that this was as close to actual anger as I had ever heard from her. Finally! Authentic passion in the form of exasperation and righteous indignation. And it was straight to camera, live, and in hostile territory. Even FOX’s Dana Perino and Baier himself conceded afterwards that the Veep nailed that segment of the interview.
Harris’s “moment” actually lasted about a full moment. I’ve reduced it down to the best 30 contiguous seconds (at top) — because I think it should be run as an advertisement over the final two weeks. Raw. No edits. Just the cut. And here’s why:
1) The moral authority of being a live clip — on FOX no less — so it is far less contrived looking than any other ad.
2) The FOX banner commands immediate attention.
3) Harris was incredibly strong and serious in appearance and tone. She could not have spoken that bite better if she was given 100 tries in a non-confrontational environment. Heat of the moment makes gold.
4) Bonus of the Brett Baier cutaway shot, looking disarmed and docile.
5) Implicit message that the Vice President SHOWED UP in hostile media territory, whereas Donald Trump will not.
Most communication is about strategy — whether the communicator knows it or not. Telling a joke. Giving a presentation. Trying to persuade someone about anything. It’s those rare moments of spontaneity (or perceived spontaneity) that are most persuasive. Because when you believe someone is being real, trust often follows.
Some readers may object and ask: “What about Trump and all his craziness?” It’s irrelevant to my point. Americans already know him and felt he was strong enough to elect him president (nearly twice). This is about Vice President Harris proving her own strength. Politics ain’t fair.
You might also wonder whether I suggested using the Harris “moment” ad idea to some of the minds who are running her race. But of course I did! I knew they wouldn’t disagree with the premise, and they didn’t.
Will we see it? Who knows. These guys are among a handful of the smartest people in all of American politics — and they’re managing a hundred ideas a day. They’ve worked with Harris since Day One to get her to where she is now: In a dead heat to become the next president of the United States. If I were her, I’d trust them with my life.
But whether or not we see that clip sandwiched inside future commercial breaks, I believe that Kamala Harris finally had the kind of breakthrough moment that a lot of undecided American voters have been dying to see.
The people who already know Harris also know how strong a person she is. But politics is a game of addition.
MICHAEL GOLDEN is the cofounder of One Million Degrees, a national award-winning journalist and bestselling author of WRITE OR DIE.
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