Harris, Walz to Speak on CNN: How Will the Politics Odds Move?
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Jason Lake
- August 29, 2024
For weeks now, Kamala Harris has heard the same question: When are you finally going to do an interview? Harris and the Democratic Party are a smash hit according to the polls, but they have yet to present their message to the American public outside of their well-crafted National Convention and rallies. When will Harris step out of this bubble?
We have the answer: this Thursday at 9 PM ET on CNN. But there’s a twist: It will be an interview with both Harris and Democratic running mate Tim Walz. It’s another brilliant move by the Dems in what’s proving to be an unusually sunny and optimistic campaign. What effect will it have on the politics odds at your favorite online sportsbooks? Let’s investigate.
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What Will Harris and Walz Say?
Probably not much that we haven’t heard already. What people are looking for on Thursday is more about how Harris presents herself in a largely unscripted format. Will she come across as likable? Will she bristle if Dana Bash, CNN’s chief political correspondent, doesn’t lob softballs at her all night long?
By including Walz in the interview, Harris and the Dems sharply reduce the chances of anything untoward happening. Viewers will instead see the way Harris and Walz interact as a team – and so far on the campaign trail, they’re the best double act we’ve seen since Deadpool and Wolverine.
The thing is, this won’t actually be the first interview Harris has given since she replaced Joe Biden as the likely Democratic nominee on July 21. Harris recorded three interviews earlier this month during the National Convention in Chicago; however, these were held with social media influencers like Vidya Gopalan, and not the mainstream news.
Harris has also fielded one or two questions shouted at her by reporters on the campaign trail. It will be different on Thursday; Bash will presumably get all her questions answered, and she’ll no doubt hit some of the harder topics that Gopalan and others didn’t touch on. Having Walz there will help smooth over any unease Harris may have otherwise expressed, consciously or otherwise, upon hearing those questions.
U.S. Election Odds – Next President
How Will the Odds Change?
Probably the same way they have for much of this campaign: in Harris’s favor, 10 cents at a time. Trump did manage to get this race back to 50-50 after securing the endorsement of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.; every other time we update the election odds, Harris has improved her chances of taking the White House, step by step.
It could be more than just a single step this time. While this isn’t technically her first unscripted interview of the campaign, it will be the first time many viewers have seen Harris outside of a convention or rally appearance – or outside her official duties as Vice President. CNN might not have the power to make Harris, but they sure can break her if she doesn’t perform. Just ask Biden.
We also shouldn’t treat this debate like it’s being held in a vacuum. The politics odds are being shaped by every event on and off the campaign trail; Harris and the Dems made the calculated choice to direct much of their messaging to social media and other non-traditional outlets, hoping to capture the “youth vote” and maximize their chances of winning those pivotal votes at the margins of the electorate. Those efforts may yet prove more impactful than what happens on CNN.
Meanwhile, today’s news headlines in the U.S. are concerned more with the fresh indictment Trump has been handed in the “January 6” case in Florida, and the altercation at Arlington National Cemetery between Trump’s campaign staff and an official. Unless Trump finds another Kennedy to support him, this negative news cycle will probably continue until he and Harris meet September 10 for the second presidential debate on ABC. The U.S. election odds will likely follow suit.
