Reminiscent of the 2020 presidential election, Kamala Harris now faces her old opponent, Donald Trump, during the 2024 election. With Joe Biden recently dropping out of the race, Harris has shocked the country with her immediate confidence at the stand. Voters are once again faced with the choice of who should lead the country, causing tensions to rise between the red and blue parties. In this tension, Harris has proved herself an extraordinary candidate as she catches the attention of voters of all ages with her unique campaign. But what really makes her campaign so unique?
Already the first woman to be vice president of the U.S., Harris is preparing to make history as the first ever female president. She has made her opinions clear through her speeches, using humor, positivity and a futuristic perspective. She is determined to fight for the freedom of women, allowing them to make decisions about their own bodies, combat climate change, ban assault weapons and ensure healthcare for every American. Unlike Trump, Harris’s incredible campaign has caught the eye of many young, newer voters.
“Social media is a great way for Harris to put herself out there. With all the memes and jokes, she has become much more popular among younger people. I think it’s a very smart way for her to campaign and I have no doubt that she will be getting the young person vote during this election,” sophomore Nathaniel Woods said.
As Harris continues to grow in popularity, generation Z has used the power of social media to amplify her message. On platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Twitter they have created memes and posts to emphasize her sense of humor. A recently popular example of this is the coconut tree meme which has become viral again. This meme has been shared online by countless Democratic supporters, spreading Harris’s popularity and her own campaign with it.
“Even though Harris is one of the first candidates to ever really use social media to campaign, so far it has been working very well for her. The coconut tree meme has gained her much more popularity, as people all across the country are laughing about it. Social media is the key to gaining the young person vote, and I think Harris should focus on it,” sophomore Hennley Michel said.
The meme originated back in May 2023 when Harris made remarks at the swearing in ceremony of commissioners for the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics. At that time she referenced what her mother used to tell her when she was younger, saying,” You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?” As laughter spread throughout the crowd that day at the White House, no one expected that someday these words would consume the internet as a way to boost her campaign.
“Harris’s presence on social media has given her the upper hand in this election. With everyone on social media nowadays, she has gained much more attention because of her marketing team on Instagram and TikTok. She has done a great job promoting herself as a strong and positive candidate and I think that candidates in future elections should definitely take inspiration from her,” junior Juan Echeverría said.
Now many influencers have even taken this meme further, as they have created different remixes by pairing her speech with music. One such song, Charli XCX’s “Apple”, has become particularly popular. As this trend continues to grow, Harris is now known to be “brat.” Though this is not understood by those who have not heard of the album, Charli XCX describes a “brat” as someone who is a little messy, likes to party and may say some dumb things sometimes. While Harris does not exactly fit this description, embracing “brat summer” is really just about embodying one’s individuality and expressing self confidence, which makes Harris the perfect “brat.”
“Social media has had a major impact on Harris’s campaign, especially with the younger generation. It makes her seem a little more relatable and fun, unlike past candidates. While she also needs to prioritize other things with her campaign, I think her social platform is a great tool to help her spread her message and strengthen her support,” junior Alyssa Dopico said.
With Harris now surpassing Trump in the polls, many ask how she has achieved such a smooth campaign so quickly. The answer to this question is quite simple. By using her humor, positive attitude and bright smile, she has gained the love of millions of voters across the nation. She even raised over $30 million dollars in one day from her supporters. Harris’s presence on social media has aided her in winning over the younger generation and Trump has been left to fall behind with only the support of older Republican voters.
As the election gets closer every day, the result seem to be obvious. Kamala Harris is close to gaining the title of the first female president. While many things have contributed to her successful journey running for office, social media has by far played a significant role. It has helped her stir up political interest in young people who would otherwise have remained couch-sitting on election day. For them, Harris has become a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stale political system. Generation Z voters admire her for her youthful energy, her exuberance and her love of coconut trees.
