Staff Reports
Vice President Kamala Harris has taken the reins of President Biden’s reelection circus, presumably after receiving the green light to “pass the torch.” Now, with Biden’s blessing firmly in her pocket, she has set her sights on selecting a slogan that will encapsulate her vision. The choices she is mulling over may very well shape the 2024 election landscape, pitting her against former President Donald Trump and his iconic “Make America Great Again” rallying cry.
Biden’s latest battle cry is “Let’s Finish the Job,” which sounds more like a line from a to-do list than an election slogan. Meanwhile, Trump’s trademark slogan has proven sturdier than Biden’s approval ratings — sticking around since 2016 and showing no signs of aging. Harris previously ran on “For The People” during her own presidential aspirations in 2020, a phrase that mostly resonated with a select few but now seems to be collecting dust. For her upcoming campaign, she has whipped out a few possible contenders that are just as catchy as a mild case of athlete’s foot.
A message for Trump and his Project 2025 pic.twitter.com/AzLhYVtLJY
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) July 24, 2024
The frontrunner appears to be “We Are Not Going Back,” a passionate proclamation from Harris aimed at distancing herself from Trump’s conservative policies. The crowd at her recent speech seemed to enjoy this mantra, chanting it as if they were trying to summon some lost spirits of better economic choices. Harris’s campaign is looking to leverage this phrase extensively, even featuring it prominently on their social media accounts. However, one may wonder if her insistence on forward motion really covers the fact that she’s essentially running a campaign based on the previous administration’s failures.
Another contender is “When We Fight, We Win.” This could be mistaken for a slogan from a gym membership ad, but it does suggest a rather combative approach to politics. Injected with Beyonce’s “Freedom,” the tagline digs deep into the emotional playbook. Harris makes grandiose claims about the type of “freedom” voters can expect, but one must ask: what kind of freedom is at risk when the government looks to regulate everything from healthcare to gun control? The term certainly seems to ring hollow among those who remember what real freedom looks like.
Then there’s the unifying appeal of “Let’s WIN This” and “Together We Can Win This,” which both showcase an effort to rally the increasingly splintered Democratic Party. Democrats are at odds over several pressing issues, from foreign affairs to whether Biden should even continue as their standard-bearer. This phrase sounds suspiciously like a pep talk during a group project where not everyone is pulling their weight, leaving many to question whether these slogans will actually unite anyone or just add more fuel to the internal conflict.
Finally, Harris has rolled out “We Are Not Playing Around,” which seemed to catch the audience off guard at her recent speech—you can practically hear the record scratch in the background. This line, delivered with a chuckle about abortion rights and judicial appointments, certainly won points for humor. However, it leaves the impression that Harris is caught between trying to be tough and simply not being taken seriously. For a campaign relying heavily on social media for its early buzz, how much of this “seriousness” will translate into real support against Trump, who still dominates the polls?
As it stands, the political stage is set for a showdown of slogans—each vying for attention in an election that promises to be anything but dull. With Trump holding a slight edge over Harris in the latest polling, one can only watch and wait to see if her campaign can translate catchy phrases into actual votes or if it’ll go the way of poorly crafted reality show pitches.
