{"id":2315611,"date":"2024-07-29T16:47:02","date_gmt":"2024-07-29T20:47:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/harris-and-vance-campaigns-dig-in-on-weird-attack-blitz-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-07-29T16:51:08","modified_gmt":"2024-07-29T20:51:08","slug":"harris-and-vance-campaigns-dig-in-on-weird-attack-blitz-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/harris-and-vance-campaigns-dig-in-on-weird-attack-blitz-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Harris and Vance campaigns dig in on &#8216;weird&#8217; attack blitz &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fharris-and-vance-campaigns-dig-in-on-weird-attack-blitz-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2315611&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The\u200c article discusses the ongoing campaign \u200bstrategies of Vice President Kamala \u200dHarris and Republican nominee J.D.\u200c Vance as \u200dthey attempt to undermine each other in\u200b the lead-up to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/are-covid-case-surges-more-fake-news\/\" title=\"Are COVID Case Surges More Fake News?\">presidential election<\/a>. Harris and\u200b her allies label Vance and \u200bformer President \u200dTrump\u2064 as &#8220;weird&#8221; and &#8220;extreme,&#8221; which contrasts with\u200b the \u200cusual Democratic focus on\u2064 the &#8220;threat \u2064to democracy.&#8221; Vance&#8217;s campaign counterattacks categorize Harris as &#8220;wacky&#8221; and &#8220;out of touch,&#8221; while highlighting her \u2063progressive positions and \u2064moments perceived\u200b as odd.<\/p>\n<p>At campaign \u2064events, both candidates \u2063have used the term \u200d&#8221;weird&#8221; to describe one another, emphasizing personal attacks as \u200ca tactic to appeal to\u2063 voters.\u200b Harris&#8217;s campaign \u2062has sent \u200bout emails that criticize Vance and question Trump\u2019s\u200c ability to\u200d serve due to his age and behavior. \u200bProminent Democrats, including various\u2064 governors and \u2062senators, have echoed these sentiments.<\/p>\n<p>The article \u2062points out that some\u200d strategists question the effectiveness of\u200c the &#8220;weird&#8221; narrative, suggesting that voters are more concerned with substantive\u200c issues affecting their daily lives rather than personal oddities. Despite this, both campaigns continue to push this messaging, aiming to create viral moments on social media that resonate with potential voters.<\/p>\n<p>the focus on character and personal quirks reflects\u2062 a trend in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-biden-drops-first-trump-attack-ad-of-2024-campaign-touts-auto-jobs-record-amid-crippling-strike\/\" title=\"Biden&#039;s 2024 Campaign: First Attack Ad Targets Trump, Highlights Auto Jobs Record Amid Strike.\">modern political campaigns<\/a> where perception can significantly influence voter\u200d attitudes, even if the strategies are questioned by some within \u200bthe parties.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Will the real &lsquo;weirdo&rsquo; please stand up: Harris and Vance campaigns dig in on bizarre attack blitz<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1708329\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>It&rsquo;s the summer of &ldquo;weird&rdquo; in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3102149\/kamala-harris-calls-democrats-underdogs-2024-presidential-race\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"battle \">battle <\/a>for the White House.<\/p>\n<p>Vice President Kamala Harris and her allies are painting the Republican ticket of former President Donald Trump and Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jd-vance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"J.D. Vance\">J.D. Vance<\/a> (R-OH) as &ldquo;weird&rdquo; and &ldquo;extreme&rdquo; in a strategy that diverges from the Democrats&rsquo; &ldquo;threat to democracy&rdquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3082260\/trump-shooting-democrats-threat-democracy-rhetoric\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"attack line\">attack line<\/a>. Vance and his allies have responded in kind, with the Republican vice presidential nominee calling Harris &ldquo;wacky&rdquo; and &ldquo;out of touch.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;You may have noticed that Donald Trump has been resorting to some wild lies about my record. And some of what he and his running mate are saying, well, it&rsquo;s just plain weird,&rdquo; Harris said Saturday at a Massachusetts campaign event. &ldquo;I mean, that&rsquo;s the box you put that in.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The subject line of a Harris campaign email declared, &ldquo;JD Vance Is a Creep (Who Wants to Ban Abortion Nationwide).&rdquo; Another email questioned whether Trump, who&rsquo;s also been lumped into the condemnation, is up to the task of serving as president again now that the 78-year-old is the eldest candidate after the exit of President Joe Biden.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;After watching Fox News this morning we only have one question, is Donald Trump ok?&rdquo;, a Harris press release said, succeeded by a list of criticisms such as Trump is &ldquo;flustered and lashing out&rdquo; and &ldquo;old and quite weird.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Several prominent Democrats have also leaned heavily into such attack lines, including Govs. Tim Walz (D-MA), Andy Beshear (D-KY), and J.B. Pritzker (D-IL), all contenders for Harris&rsquo;s running mate, Sens. Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;These guys are just weird. That&rsquo;s who they are,&rdquo; Walz, head of the Democratic Governors Association, said on the trail while stumping for Harris. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not afraid of weird people. We&rsquo;re a little bit creeped out, but we&rsquo;re not afraid.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH), whose district borders Vance&rsquo;s hometown of Middletown, accused Vance of &ldquo;running one of the cruelest, most chaotic, and downright *weirdest* campaigns for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hunter-biden-defector-emails-pipeline-to-obama-admin-seen-as-currency\/\" title=\"Hunter Biden Defector Emails: &#039;Pipeline&#039; to Obama Admin Seen as &#039;Currency&#039;\">vice president<\/a> we&rsquo;ve ever seen.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The &ldquo;weird&rdquo; labels underscore the perceived liability that Democrats feel Vance brings to Trump. Under the surface of public GOP support for Vance, some Republicans are concerned that Trump picked the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tucker-i-would-vote-against-trump-if-he-picked-nikki-haley-as-vp\/\" title=\"Tucker opposes Trump&#039;s choice of Nikki Haley as VP\">wrong running mate<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But the tactic has Democratic strategist Brad Bannon scratching his head as to why the party believes it&rsquo;s a winning message when they should &ldquo;punch up instead of down&rdquo; by focusing on Trump.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;My inclination is to say, totally meaningless. It&rsquo;s so trivial to voters, I can&rsquo;t even begin to think about it,&rdquo; Bannon told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;Voters have bigger fish to fry than weirdness. They want discussion about the things affecting their lives, and I just think calling each other weird is small potatoes and meaningless.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"youtube-embed\" data-video_id=\"7gp42NvbhYg\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"&lsquo;Just plain weird&rsquo;: Dems criticize Trump and Vance\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7gp42NvbhYg?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Vance and his allies have sought to flip the script that Harris is the real weird one. <\/p>\n<p>The Ohio senator labeled Harris a &ldquo;wacky, out of touch San Francisco liberal&rdquo; at a Minnesota campaign rally over the weekend.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;JD Vance is weird,&rdquo; Vance posted on X sarcastically, along with a clip of Harris, then-California senator, saying at a CNN townhall that &ldquo;my pronouns are she, her, and hers&rdquo; during the 2020 campaign as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/history-repeats-itself-democrats-are-using-tactics-of-the-marxists-of-1917-in-russia-to-steal-2020-election\/\" title=\"History Repeats Itself: Democrats Are Using Tactics of the Marxists of 1917 in Russia to Steal 2020 Election\">vice-presidential candidate<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Trump&rsquo;s son, Donald Trump Jr., posted the same message on X with a video of Harris interacting with a drag queen.<\/p>\n<p>In down-ballot races, the campaign arm of Senate Republicans devoted a section of a strategy memo provided to GOP candidates for some of the &ldquo;weird&rdquo; moments from Harris, including her affinity for electric school buses and Venn diagrams, laughing &ldquo;at inappropriate moments,&rdquo; a desire to ban plastic straws, and limiting red meat consumption.<\/p>\n<p>The battle over who&rsquo;s the bigger oddball has been fueled by short clips of both candidates that supporters can easily share and make go viral on social media. The strategy also enables politicians to tone down the rhetoric in the wake of the assassination attempt on Trump and boil down the argument to simple messages for voters about Vance and Harris: They&rsquo;re not like you.<\/p>\n<p>Vance doubled down on his views that parents should have more voting power than those without children and said he was being sarcastic when previously referring to Harris, Buttigieg, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) as &ldquo;childless cat ladies.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Vance suggested the &ldquo;weird&rdquo; insult from Democrats was simply an extension of partisan rhetoric and that he wasn&rsquo;t offended by it. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Look, the price of admission, meaning the price of getting to serve the people of this country, is the Democrats are going to attack us with everything that they have. I think it&rsquo;s an honor,&rdquo; Vance told Fox News. &ldquo;As Harry Truman once said, &lsquo;If you can&rsquo;t take the heat, stay out of the kitchen.&#8217;&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>In the latest sign that Democrats aren&rsquo;t relenting, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) also entered the fray. He branded Vance as &ldquo;one of the best things [Trump] ever did for Democrats.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It comes out Vance has done some things more extreme, more weird, more erratic &hellip; than President Trump,&rdquo; Schumer said Sunday on CBS&rsquo;s <em>Face the Nation<\/em>. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll bet President Trump is sitting there scratching his head and wondering, &lsquo;Why did I pick this guy?&rsquo;&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1708329\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1708329\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>**Will the true &#8216;weirdo&#8217; please step forward: Harris and Vance campaigns intensify unusual attack strategies**<\/p>\n<p>This summer, the race for the White House has taken a turn towards the &#8220;weird.&#8221; Vice President Kamala Harris and her supporters are branding the Republican duo of former President Donald Trump and Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) as &#8220;weird&#8221; and &#8220;extreme,&#8221; marking a shift from the Democrats&#8217; usual focus on threats to democracy. In response, Vance and his team have labeled Harris as &#8220;wacky&#8221; and &#8220;out of touch.&#8221; At a campaign event in Massachusetts, Harris remarked, \u201cYou might have noticed that Donald Trump has been spreading some outrageous lies about my record. What he and his running mate are saying is just plain weird.\u201d A campaign email from Harris described Vance as \u201ca creep who wants to ban abortion nationwide,\u201d while another questioned Trump&#8217;s fitness for presidency at 78 years old after Biden&#8217;s exit. The email stated, \u201cAfter watching Fox News this morning we only have one question: is Donald Trump okay?\u201d followed by criticisms that he is \u201cflustered\u201d and \u201cold\u201d among other things.<\/p>\n<p>Several prominent Democrats have adopted similar rhetoric, including Governors Tim Walz (D-MA), Andy Beshear (D-KY), J.B. Pritzker (D-IL), Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Brian Schatz (D-HI), along with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Walz commented on the campaign trail that these candidates are simply &#8220;weird,&#8221; adding that while they find it unsettling, they aren&#8217;t intimidated by it.<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) accused Vance of running an exceptionally chaotic vice-presidential campaign characterized by its oddness. The emphasis on labeling opponents as &#8220;weird&#8221; reflects concerns among Democrats regarding Vance&#8217;s potential impact on Trump&#8217;s candidacy; some Republicans worry Trump may have chosen an unsuitable running mate.<\/p>\n<p>However, Democratic strategist Brad Bannon expressed confusion over why this approach would resonate with voters when they should be focusing their attacks more directly at Trump instead of downplaying their opponent\u2019s character traits. He stated that such trivialities are unlikely to engage voters who care more about substantive issues affecting their lives.<\/p>\n<p>Vance&#8217;s camp has attempted to counter these claims by portraying Harris as even weirder than himself; during a rally in Minnesota, he referred to her as a \u201cwacky San Francisco liberal.\u201d He also shared clips online mocking her past statements about pronouns during her 2020 vice-presidential run.<\/p>\n<p>In lower-profile races, Senate Republicans highlighted various quirky moments from Harris\u2019s career in strategy memos aimed at GOP candidates\u2014ranging from her support for electric school buses to laughing at inappropriate times\u2014further fueling this narrative battle over who can be deemed stranger.<\/p>\n<p>The exchange allows both parties to simplify their messages amid heightened tensions following recent events involving Trump while emphasizing how each candidate differs from average voters\u2019 experiences.<\/p>\n<p>Vance reiterated his belief in parental voting rights over those without children but claimed previous comments referring to certain politicians as \u201cchildless cat ladies\u201d were made sarcastically; he dismissed Democratic accusations of weirdness as mere partisan attacks not worthy of offense.<\/p>\n<p>Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also joined in attacking Vance recently by suggesting he&#8217;s become one of Trump&#8217;s greatest gifts to Democrats due to his extreme behavior surpassing even Trump&#8217;s own actions\u2014a sentiment echoed during an appearance on CBS\u2019s Face the Nation where Schumer speculated whether Trump regrets choosing him<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3108,"featured_media":2315612,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/vance-harris-battle-over-whos-weirder.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[36566,8954,4021,15469],"class_list":["post-2315611","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-attack-ads","tag-campaigns","tag-harris","tag-vance"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/vance-harris-battle-over-whos-weirder.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2315611","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3108"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2315611"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2315611\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315612"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2315611"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2315611"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2315611"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}