Kamala Harris aide admits Democrats are ‘losing their culture’ as media influence shifts to the right

Vice President Kamala Harris’ deputy campaign manager Rob Flaherty said during an interview that the Democratic Party has “lost its culture” as more Americans turn to podcasts.

“Campaigns, in many ways, are the last vendors that exist in a place where culture is imposed, and the institutions where Democrats had the power to influence culture are losing importance,” he said during an interview with Semafor. “You don’t get an 8-point shift to the right without losing culture.”

Harris and President-elect Donald Trump have both made efforts to address podcasts and non-traditional media ahead of the 2024 election. Flaherty told Semafor during the interview that they are finding it difficult to book Harris on sports podcasts.

“Sports and culture go hand in hand, and as sports and culture become more visible and kind of innately associated with this set of Trump values, it’s become more difficult for athletes to come out of us,” Flaherty said. “It was very difficult for the sports players to take us to their programs because they did not want to ‘do politics.’

MALA HARRIS’S CAMPAIGN HELPS TO SIT DOWN TRUMP AND JOE ROGAN TO ACCUSE HIM OF NOT DOING THE PODCAST

Flaherty said that sports culture is associated with food culture, making it difficult for their campaign to reach people.

“That doesn’t mean Steph Curry and Steve Kerr and LeBron [James] and all the ones that come out are not impactful or significant,” Flaherty said. “It’s had a big impact because then it’s very difficult. But certainly the culture associated with watching heavy sports has become associated with the culture of eating in a way that makes it difficult for us to reach people.”

Harris campaign aides who have spoken about the failure of their bid for the presidency complained about the media, criticizing their questions about Harris.

“Real people felt, somehow, that we would not have negotiations, which was not true and contrary to any kind of standard that was put on Trump, I think that was the problem,” Jen O’ Malley Dillon said during the interview on “Pod Save America.”

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) at the Swissotel in Chicago, June 24, 2022. (KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

CLICK HERE FOR MORE NEWS AND CULTURE POSTS

He also pointed out that when Harris conducted the interview, the questions were “small and fixed,” and they were “not identifying” the voter.

Flaherty also talked about Harris avoiding more traditional media, even though Harris did many interviews with CNN, MSNBC and Fox News before the election.

CLICK HERE FOR THE NEWS PROGRAM

“There is no benefit – as far as our colleagues in the mainstream press – in the general election, talking to the New York Times or talking to the Washington Post, because those [readers] they’re already with us,” Flaherty said.