In the weeks leading up to the 2024 presidential election, pivotal battleground states have taken center stage in being the subject of attention for both candidates. As Nov. 5th approaches, the campaign strategies of the Harris and Trump parties have gone in a variety of new directions to secure the votes of the American people. From media sensationalism to an avalanche of digital ads, each candidate is reaching out far and wide in their attempts to land 270 electoral votes.
Historically speaking, presidential campaigns in the early 20th century largely depended on public funding to create mass-broadcasted advertising, as a means to reach as many voters as possible with moderate, generalized messaging. Following Congressional bills limiting campaign donations and spending in the 70s and an emergence of larger, superior polling methods in the 80s, modern campaign strategies have shifted wildly.
Digital algorithms and online advertising have allowed political parties to send targeted, direct messaging to voters. Polarization in both political parties, especially on key voter policies, led to the lessening of effectiveness in moderate messaging. Campaigns began to largely depend on private donations for their expenditures, rather than public funding, allowing political candidates to emerge in unorthodox ways.
By 2016, one of these unlikely candidates arrived as a frontrunner for the presidency: Donald Trump, whose private wealth and public attention factored largely into his eventual election into office. Trump has often cited his confidence in his campaign's effectiveness coming from the media sensationalism that followed him in the lead-up to the election.
The Democrat-turned-Republican candidate wrote in 2015, “I don’t mind being attacked. I use the media as it uses me – to attract attention.” With a campaign plastered in bright red MAGA hats, Trump’s public appearances and rallies were under a media spotlight unlike any campaign has seen before, allowing him to cash in on the attention with polarizing political messaging specifically targeted at swing state voters.
In 2024, this strategy widely seems to be the status quo for the Trump campaign again. From appearances at large-scale rallies across key swing states, numerous online podcasts and interviews, and even at a Crimson Tide football game, Trump’s sometimes eccentric campaign schedule is without reason.
Recent elections have been much tighter than previous years, in large part due to polarization amongst voters. Polling has shown that the election will again come down to just a small margin of voters in a few key battleground states. For both candidates, their actions in the next few weeks are crucial.
For Kamala Harris, this means a much more targeted approach to voters than in previous democratic campaigns. While Trump has favored making a variety of public appearances to spotlight his campaign, Harris has used far more digital advertising in her campaign, in large part targeting a much younger audience.
With over $200 million invested in digital advertising alone, the current vice president has worked to secure key television spots during National Football League, National Basketball Association and National Hockey League games leading up to November. With ads looking to draw positive contrasts between her and Trump and “aggressively define” who Harris is, her campaign has largely outnumbered Trump’s in the quantity of advertisements online.
This is not to suggest Harris has not also made numerous public appearances, however. Harris' second presidential campaign has seen her hold a number of rallies across key battleground states in an effort to better inform voters of her policy and record.
The VP has made it a point to better define her agenda, which was a key problem in her initial 2020 run for office that eventually saw her individually drop out of the race and later join the Biden ticket. Many of the tactics used in what was an ultimately successful presidential campaign for Joe Biden are being employed by Harris, which include an increased social media presence and collaborations with a multitude of celebrity figures. Harris has particularly been noted for her optimism and joyful tone in her messaging, and seeks to have a more outwardly moderate tone than in 2020, similar to that of President Biden’s campaign.
American politics are in a new era. More than ever, candidates are seeking to bring their campaigns directly to the voters in targeted and focused manners. Widespread appeal to Americans is more difficult than ever to achieve today, and the 2024 election is currently polling as one of the most polarized in US history. In such a tight race, the method each candidate spends bringing their campaign to the public can be the difference in victory and defeat.
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