General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Tim Walz is appearing on Fox News tomorrow for an interview [View all]Self Esteem
(1,809 posts)I said it in another post: Harris hasn't just figured out the winning formula when it comes to presidential elections. It's pretty clear what is and isn't effective and if rallies weren't, candidates wouldn't waste their time on them. Yet we know that isn't the case. Obama held multiple rallies a day once he got to the final stretch of the campaign - some even in different states.
In 2020, the Biden campaign stopped holding rallies due to COVID and had planned to not do ANY rallies and instead focus on 1:1 interviews to get their message out. But Trump began holding rallies again and the campaign saw the impact they were having motivating voters in swing states and registering new voters. Concerned about the trajectory of the race, Biden's team made an abrupt change and started holding outdoor rallies. They adjusted, as they were drive-in rallies but they were essentially the same thing and it helped stave off potential disaster, especially with how close the race was.
But you'd be surprised how many inactive voters go to rallies, either out of curiosity or because someone cool is there (like, idk maybe someone performing or getting to hear Obama). Those voters are then encouraged to vote, maybe even register if the deadline hasn't passed - or even better, they lock in their vote by voting early.
It's a very effective strategy and why campaigns always ramp up the amount of rallies in the final weeks. If it didn't work, successful campaigns wouldn't still be doing it - and yet they are.
Beyond that, it's a much more centralized message than going on Colbert. That helps too but it's not swing-state focused.
Harris holding a rally in Pittsburgh is going to drive way more local coverage than her going on Stern. Beyond that, almost every local outlet typically covers the speeches and certainly you're going to hear about it.
So, yeah, it hits more than just the thousands who attend.
It's still the most effective way to reach as many voters as possible of a targeted area.
One rally a week in October will not cut it. Fortunately, I'm confident Harris will start holding multiple rallies a week despite what some here think.