Could a social media ‘Kamalanomenon’ propel Kamala Harris into the White House?

As Donald Trump stood on a Pennsylvania stage pumping his fists in the air in the moments following a failed assassination attempt, he looked almost certain to steamroll his way back into the White House.

Democrats felt despondent and defeated before a single vote was cast as incumbent US President Joe Biden’s campaign held on for dear life in the wake of a disastrous first debate performance and a series of high-profile gaffes.

Less than a month later, Biden has departed from the race and his Vice President Kamala Harris is enjoying a significant bump in nationwide polls, with experts reporting an up to five point lead over Trump.

So what has caused this sudden surge in enthusiasm – and will it be enough to secure a monumental upset victory over the Republicans?

Flipping despair into joy

According to professor Andrew Moran, head of politics and international relations at London Metropolitan University, the contest remains tight but the momentum has now moved decidedly in Harris’ favour.

He puts that down to a shift in messaging from the Democratic campaign that has energised young, female, black, and hispanic voters.

Moran said: “If you think about what Biden’s message was, it was very negative, warning about democracy being at risk – which I think it is with a Trump presidency.

“Kamala Harris, in particular, has been trying to bring back and galvanise voters. The Democrats have to make sure they get people out.

“They’ve flipped the despair into joy and I think that’s going to gain traction with Democrats who were depressed about the possibility of having to come out and vote for Biden. Now they can vote for someone who is telling them a positive message.”

Moran believes Harris has made clever use of a campaign team that is fluent in online culture and humour.

Social media platforms have been flooded with videos and memes supporting Harris – and those running her campaign have been only too keen to embrace it.

‘Kamala IS brat’

Late last month, the official X account for President Joe Biden’s campaign was rebranded to Kamala HQ and leaned into the lime green aesthetic of the popular “brat summer” meme.

The term is inspired by English artist Charli XCX’s hit album BRAT, which has been the focus of TikTok dances and fashion trends.

Charli XCX recently explained what the phrase means to her, saying: “You are just that girl who is a little messy and maybe says dumb things sometimes, who feels herself but then also maybe has a breakdown but parties through it.

“It is honest, blunt and a little bit volatile.”

The profile change did not go unnoticed, with the star later posting: “Kamala IS brat.”

Meanwhile, the phrase ‘Kamalanomenon’ has been trending on the social media site TikTok, with users sharing clips of Harris dancing and laughing while Chappell Roan’s Femininomenon plays in the background.

The song’s title is a combination of feminine and phenomenon.

It is a highly symbolic choice in a race that could see the country’s first female president elected and abortion rights play out as one of the biggest issues.

Moran also points to the use of the word ‘weird’ to describe Republican candidates, as popularised by Democrat campaigners and the Kamala HQ account, gaining traction among young voters.

Things could soon be pushed up another gear with pop megastar Taylor Swift reportedly dropping hints about backing Harris for president.

The whiplash-inducing shift in momentum since Biden stepped down has even led to some conservatives sharing conspiracy theories.

Michael Brendan Dougherty of The National Review wrote in a column titled The Kamala Harris Psyop: “Her sudden Taylor Swift-level stardom is as faked as intelligence-agency assessments of Hunter Biden’s laptop.”

Social media alone won’t be enough

The electoral college voting system in the US means even if this surge in enthusiasm leads to a victory in the popular vote, it still may not be enough to see off Trump.

Both Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden defeated him in the popular vote but it was only the latter who went on the become president.

Cliff Young, president of US public affairs for polling company Ipos, believes the Democrats are in a better state than they would have been if Biden had stayed on.

He said: “Harris is definitely better off right now than Biden was across the board, whether it be in the national polls or polls in swing states.

“We’re not quite sure to what extent this is just an enthusiasm bump. Everyone is excited, they’re rallying around the news of a new candidate.

“I do think she’s doing better than Biden, especially among certain demographics like younger Americans, Black Americans, Hispanic Americans and less affluent Americans.

“Those are all groups that have been affected by inflation – and groups that Biden was having a tough time with.”

However, Young thinks the “fundamentals”, such as the economy and cost of living, remain in Trump’s favour because the sitting party tends to perform poorly on that issue when things are going badly.

The Harris campaign will need to focus on more than memes and viral videos if it wants to keep hold of the Oval Office for the Democrats.

Where does Harris need to target?

Key to success will be winning the three big swing-states in the Midwest – Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

According to Young, if the Democrats win those three states, they will win the election.

If they fail to do so outright, then attentions will turn to other swing states such as Georgia, Arizona and Nevada.

“It was looking pretty bad before Biden stepped down,” Young said.

“They’ve narrowed in those three states but we were expecting a narrowing anyway. I think Harris makes them competitive again for the Democrats.

“They’re going to have to hammer home the main issues. She’s going to have to bring in the Democratic coalition through a message of saving American democracy from Trump and hammering home on abortion.

“She’ll need to reach out to the groups who are disaffected because of inflation. That’s the winning combination for her, especially in those key swing states.”

Walz a clever pick to win over rural voters

Experts believe those key battlegrounds played a significant role in Harris choosing Minnesota governor Tim Walz as her running mate.

He was considered such a rank outsider that Young is not even sure his name was always included when Ipsos tested voters on picks for vice president.

Asked what happened when they do test his name, Young added: “People don’t know who he is.”

Walz is a former high school football coach who is perhaps best known for launching the “weird” attack line now popular with Democrat campaigners.

But he is also highly regarded by farmers and knows how to speak to rural voters in a way that could prove essential in Midwest swing states.

His selection suggests Harris plans to pave the path on every possible route to the White House.