What Kamala Harris Didn’t Do

Nate Cohn: “Seventeen days later, Kamala is brat. The donations are flowing. Arenas are packed for her rallies. The groundswell of support isn’t coming from just the Democratic base, either. Her favorability ratings have surged in recent polls, with now almost half of voters saying they have a favorable view of her. She’s taken a narrow lead in the polls against Mr. Trump, and she might still be gaining.”

“How did Ms. Harris do it? What’s striking is that she didn’t have to do much. Mr. Biden’s decision to drop out, and her entry into the race, instantly electrified the Democratic Party, and she’s ridden an enormous wave of pent-up enthusiasm for a new face and fresh energy.”

“It’s worth pausing and thinking about all the things she didn’t have to do to pull this off — the kinds of things that desperate campaigns might try, or that might have made it into a West Wing episode, like a new policy platform, a new message, a soaring speech or an exhaustive news conference. She’s backed away from earlier left-leaning positions on fracking, the border and Medicare for all, but there hasn’t been the need for a Sister Souljah moment scolding the left to redefine her as a centrist. Instead, she has campaigned as a mainstream Democrat, with the usual Democratic message focused on issues like abortion and Mr. Trump’s criminal conduct.”