Harris' headquarters focusing on impact more than policy as they aim to keep drawing eyeballs

 At Kamala Harris’ campaign headquarters, aides are already working toward more appearances like the vice president’s online conversation next week with Oprah Winfrey, instead of any big speeches or more policy rollouts like her economic plans, unless the campaign sees ways to leverage those into grabbing more attention.

Yet Harris advisers are running into limits of the calendar: Unless they succeed in goading Trump into accepting a second debate, the only big event left before Election Day is the Tim Walz-JD Vance vice presidential debate on October 1.

David Plouffe, former President Barack Obama’s campaign manager, is leading the push among Harris advisers for breakthrough moments and innovative appearances. Harris and many around her tend to be dismissive of the value of traditional media, and believe they get more of a boost from putting her in situations like hugging voters during a brief Sunday stop at a spice store in Pittsburgh than she ever would from any interview.

Plouffe’s role is in part affected by the simmering tension between different factions —carryover Biden aides, new staff who came with Harris, a clutch of Obama alumni who parachuted in together, and the core group of advisers who tend to spend the most time with the candidate on the road and at the Naval Observatory — although the infighting looks nothing like the dysfunction of Harris’ 2019 bid.

Campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon’s leadership retreat last week, for example, was part therapy for aides coming off their rollercoaster summer. But it was also part information sharing — amid the massive divergence in political conditions, ballot propositions and candidates that Harris aides believe could upend the trend of recent elections where states move in regional blocs.

Translating the summer enthusiasm into fall work without the enthusiasm draining won’t be easy, said Dan Kildee, a retiring Democratic congressman from the critical battleground of Michigan. He said he’s heartened that 35,000 new volunteers signed up in his state since Harris became the nominee, but he said that won’t matter unless they’re managed and deployed correctly.

Obama is expected to be central in that effort, with aides working to add to his usual slate of late fall battleground campaign rallies — in person or with online influencers, whom he’s been pushing to use their platforms to get followers to vote.