Kamala Harris’s presidential marketing campaign is on a troll. Over the weekend, Kamala HQ posted a TikTok video highlighting Republican vice presidential decide JD Vance’s “aura”—or lack thereof.
The Harris marketing campaign edited collectively a kind of greatest misses blooper reel that includes cringey moments from the Hillbilly Elegy writer, together with a traditional fistbump/handshake fumble, reminders of his “by no means Trump” previous and operating mate Donald Trump’s personal “by no means remembers J.D. Vance’s identify” previous, the notorious “childless cat girl” remark, and Vance’s uncomfortable laughter and insistence that being known as “bizarre” by Democrats isn’t hurtful “in any respect.”
All of the whereas, a operating counter tracks Vance’s aura factors taking place, down, down. Whereas the phrase “aura” has historically been used to check with an individual’s nebulous vibe and the power they provide off, the extraordinarily on-line have engineered the concept of a hazy “aura factors” system in a kind of manifestation-meets-RPG ideology. You may even practice “auramaxxing,” incorporating completely different habits in service of leveling up.
It’s yet one more nod from the Harris marketing campaign to the Gen Z voters it hopes will elect the nation’s first feminine Brat president. In a summer TikTok trend, customers monitor their “aura factors” all through the day. Left hanging for a high-five? Damaging aura factors. Getting an additional scoop of ice cream for no actual purpose? Huge constructive aura factors. And in keeping with the Harris marketing campaign, Vance’s aura is at destructive infinity. Yowza.
It’s one other deft use of social media for the marketing campaign, particularly in distinction to Trump’s technique utilizing on-line platforms. Trump’s official TikTok account has posted eight movies whole since becoming a member of the platform in June, most just lately showcasing Trump being introduced in Atlanta with a sparkling portrait of himself. The Harris marketing campaign’s account has posted 299 movies since February, together with these supporting President Joe Biden’s reelection marketing campaign earlier than the occasion shifted its hopes to Harris.