Dem
50
GOP
50
And when we say "right," we really mean "far-right."
Kamala Harris—who, as you may have heard, doesn't do media appearances, and is afraid of interviewers who might challenge her—is going to go into the lion's den. Two lion's dens, possibly. Yesterday, Fox announced that she will sit down for an interview with host Bret Baier, to be aired tomorrow night at 6:00 p.m. The interview will be conducted in Pennsylvania, and, per Baier, will only be "lightly edited." Beyond that, not much is known.
That's one lion's den. The (potential) other one is that the Harris campaign is in discussions with Joe Rogan to appear on his podcast. Rogan, for those who aren't familiar, is somewhat right-leaning and very conspiratorial, though he hides those identities behind a "just asking questions" mask. In any case, he has the most popular podcast in America, with an audience that skews very male (and, especially, young and male). So, an appearance there would be a pretty good counterpoint to Harris' interview last week on the Call Her Daddy podcast, which is the second most popular podcast in America, with an audience that skews very female (and, especially, young and female).
The risks and rewards of this media strategy are pretty obvious. On Fox, and on the Rogan podcast if that interview happens, she's going to face some... unfriendly questions. That means there's an opportunity for her to really step in it. It would not be a great idea for someone whose faculties are in question—Joe Biden, Donald Trump—to sign up for an appearance with such hostiles.
On the other hand, if Harris is confident in her abilities—and she has every reason to be—then she makes a pretty important point by being willing to take this on (consider how much Pete Buttigieg impressed with HIS willingness to go on Fox). Further, this affords her an opportunity to reach something like 20 million Americans who would otherwise be very difficult for her to reach. In particular, you can bet good money that Harris and her team know full well that Baier's show (Special Report), where the interview will air, attracts more independent voters than any other Fox program.
There are some commenters who are doing the knee-jerk thing, and asserting this is a sign that Harris is desperate. We don't think you can reach that conclusion. Sure, she could be looking at the polls and not liking what she's seeing, and so could be gambling in hopes of righting the ship. But she could also be executing a media strategy that's been in place for weeks or months. Or, she could even believe she's got enough margin right now that she can afford to press her advantage. Any of these three options is possible.
Donald Trump, of course, does not like his turf to be infringed upon, particularly by a Black woman. So, he blew a gasket when news of the Fox interview broke yesterday. Here's what he posted on his boutique social media platform:
Lyin' Kamala Harris has wisely chosen Bret Baier, of FoxNews, to do a much needed interview, because he is considered to be "Fair & Balanced," though often very soft to those on the "cocktail circuit" Left. I would have preferred seeing a more hard hitting journalist, but Fox has grown so weak and soft on the Democrats, constantly polluting the airwaves with unopposed Kamala Representatives, that it all doesn't matter anymore. Hopefully, the people will understand on November 5th, and Early Voting. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
At least he got Election Day right (see above).
We don't watch every Harris interview, but we'll definitely be tuning in for this one. It will be good preparation for election night, when the only one of us who can get Fox News on their TV will have to suck it up and spend several hours watching, to see what the outlet is saying about the results. (Z)