The New Old Guard

Playbook: “The Harris campaign underwent a major transformation yesterday. It added some very high profile names, layered over some important players, saw the departure of its chief strategist, and left some big staffing questions unanswered.”

“At the center of the shakeup are a group of new senior advisers best known for their work on Barack Obama’s campaigns for president and inside his White House.”

“The backdrop, of course, is an extraordinary transition — from an operation built to elect Joe Biden to one built to elect Harris. It’s natural that things might be a little bumpy. Harris has different demographic strengths, policy priorities and a coterie of her own close advisers who understandably want a larger role in the campaign they’ve inherited.”

“But the new moves seem likely to exacerbate lingering tensions between a team that has worked thanklessly for over a year to elect Biden while outside consultants — especially those generally associated with Obama — criticized them from the sidelines. Now the former group is watching nervously as some of Obama’s best and brightest from 2008 and 2012 are being brought in for senior roles.”