July 3, 2024 - 8:30pm
In the last 24 hours, Kamala Harris has become the new favourite to replace Joe Biden. In doing so, she’s now at the centre of a burgeoning meme culture that’s rebranding her most widely-mocked public statements as quirky and charismatic.
Social media is awash with posts from Left-of-centre influencers announcing, through a haze of convoluted memes, that they’re rallying behind Harris. In online parlance, these users are “coconut-pilled”, a reference to Kamala Harris once telling an audience, “Do you think you just fell out of a coconut tree? You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.”
Harris’ young fans have coopted the “KHive” moniker, a riff off Beyonce’s “B-Hive” that was first popularised during her botched 2019 primary campaign. The Vice President’s unusual public speaking style, boisterous and often oddly timed laugh, and occasional dancing are at the core of her semi-ironic cult following.
One user made a video compilation of Harris having a “coconut tree summer”. Another fancam video shows her laughing and clapping to a remix of Charli XCX’s “Von Dutch”, with the artist’s recent “Brat” album serving as the backdrop for numerous other Kamala Harris fan posts. A clip of talkshow host Drew Barrymore awkwardly urging Harris to be the “Mom-ala of the country” has found new life as a rallying cry.
The Vice President’s online popularity may also be translating to real support among younger Democrats. As of April, Trump was ahead of Biden by one point among those aged 18-34 in a CNN poll, but after the debate, the former president’s lead grew to six percentage points with this age group. Replacing Biden with Harris on the ballot would win back those lost points for the Democratic ticket. The post-debate poll found Harris leading Trump by one point in a head-to-head race.
The 35-49 age group showed a similar trend. Biden was ahead by six percentage points before the debate, but Trump is leading by four points post-debate. The Vice President, meanwhile, enjoys a five point lead over Trump in a one-on-one matchup in the same poll.
It marks a considerable change in fortunes for Harris, one of the least popular vice presidents in history, whose bid for the presidency in 2019 failed spectacularly. While she was unable to win any single demographic group based on age or race, she performed worst among young voters. Five years later, with an 81-year-old incumbent and few realistic alternatives, the youth vote may be ready to rally around Harris.
Biden’s support for Israel has damaged his popularity among young progressives, some of whom view the war in Gaza as a top policy priority. Harris, by comparison, has been less vocal in her support for Israel, which may play well with these voters. For young moderates who supported Biden up until the debate, a Harris candidacy is a practical solution to both Biden’s age and his prosecution of the war in Gaza.
Harris is next in line to the presidency and is the only candidate who could automatically inherit Biden’s campaign funds. That she is now playing well with younger Democrats suggests that he is likely the party’s best chance at holding on to the White House and avoiding down-ballot damage due to voters’ concerns about Biden.
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SubscribeYeah reminds me of all those crazy cute Liz Truss moments, whilst at the same time thinking wtf, how did this utter imbecile reach the upper echelons of government?
Remember when the prerequisites for high office were experience, competence, charisma, and intelligence? Yeah, me neither.
Isn’t ‘coconut’ a racial slur?
Yes, brown n the outside and white on the inside.
I always felt bad for Harris. She was thrust into a role she is clearly incapable of fulfilling. I know it’s exactly what she wanted, but I still feel bad for her. And the inappropriate laughing must be some kind of nervous tick. It’s really weird and kills her credibility.
She slept her way up. Zero sympathy
So did Biden!
Ouch! Clever…
Now he’s sleeping his way out.
Clever-er!
The woman in a grey suit.
As the Democrats have been happy to support a man who has manifested dementia for some time why should they not support someone who displays weirdness in a less demented form? Unlike Biden’s issue it’s unlikely to get worse.
Of course those who are not died-in the-wool Democrat members may have reservations.
It is easy to mock Kamala Harris, and in many ways we should not let that stop us. But she locked up African-American men as if it had been going out of fashion, and she kept them locked up past the end of their sentences as cheap labour for her corporate donors. In 36 hours’ time, we may very well have a similar figure as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. These are not good times.
All necessary steps toward the goal of suiciding western civilization.
This feels quite a bit like Wagging the Dog.
“Replacing Biden with Harris on the ballot would win back those lost points for the Democratic ticket.”
A ridiculous assumption, in a ridiculous story.
It sounds crazy but it’s actually true according the the latest polls.
It’s a ridiculous country.
Meme away, little sycophants. You can’t shine shit.