In a hot-headed election where many voters don’t fully align with either candidate, indecisiveness at the polls is high. Vice President Kamala Harris is working to tap into this population of undecided voters – and not through traditional mediums.
On Oct. 6, Harris sat down with Alex Cooper on her women-focused podcast “Call Her Daddy” to discuss reproductive rights and other issues women are facing. Although Harris has received backlash for the untraditional interview, the move was creative, appealed to voters and worked well with the messaging Cooper promotes surrounding abortion access.
Her decision to go on the podcast was creative in a time when undecided voters are feeling lethargic. Non-traditional means of interviews have their downsides, such as the lack of journalistic experience to ask hard-hitting questions, but perhaps voters are looking for something different.
Although the audience is politically divided, as evidenced by viewer backlash, Harris was able to get her message across to voters who may have not heard it otherwise. She met young women where they are at – and sometimes that is what presidential candidates have to do in an ever-changing media landscape.
The way podcasts promote real, vulnerable conversations appeals to voters after the theatrical, aggressive debates. Traditional news outlets, although still crucial, are hesitantly approached by undecided voters because of their biases – especially during an election season. While people who knew they were voting for Harris on day one are typically tuning into CNN, fans of former President Donald Trump are watching Fox News.
Harris and her team likely sensed this and veered away from appealing to voters that are already decided. Going on “Call Her Daddy,” a podcast with a primary audience of women between 18 and 29 years old, appeals to both female and young voters – both of which Harris needs on her team.
Harris spoke eloquently about reproductive rights, sexual abuse and other topics – occasionally sidetracking to promote economic promises in her campaign. If an undecided voter who cares about reproductive rights and the treatment of women listened to the episode, they likely were persuaded to vote for Harris.
Cooper has long supported reproductive rights, providing resources and information for women on her website. As a woman hosting a podcast that promotes open conversations about seemingly taboo topics such as mental health, sex and relationships, Cooper’s messaging seamlessly flowed into a conversation with Harris about reproductive rights.
Before the episode, Cooper said, “I prepared seven different versions of this interview. Do I talk about the economy? Do I talk about border control? Do I talk about fracking? But then I realized you can hear about all of those issues on whichever news site you prefer. And let's be real, I'm probably not the one to be having the fracking conversation, but the conversation I know I am qualified to have is the one surrounding women's bodies and how we are treated and valued in this country.”
Cooper’s success lies in knowing her audience. She likely is not qualified to speak about many issues at the top of voters’ minds, and her audience would arguably not enjoy those conversations.
Instead, Cooper took the respectable route of discussing a topic that she is educated on and is also one of Harris’ top campaign promises, meaning she is well-versed in the policy side.
As Harris continues her media tour on several other non-traditional news outlets, the creative aspect, ability to appeal to niche voting populations and messaging previously promoted by the respective platforms will likely work to her advantage.
Layne Rey is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts? Let Layne know by tweeting her @laynerey12.
