Harris refashions campaign in her own image as she prepares for historic clash with Trump

HOUSTON (AP) — The first change that stands out is the music, with President Joe Biden’s rock and Motown fading from the playlist in favor of more pop and hip hop.

Then comes Vice President Kamala Harris’ stump speech, devoid of Bidenesque rambling digressions and focused more on the future than a laundry list of past accomplishments.

In only a few days since taking over the campaign, Harris has put her distinctive stamp on the election operation. She’s raising excitement and drawing an outpouring of donations from Democrats who had feared they were sliding toward disaster with Biden at the top of the ticket.

Now, her challenge will be transforming that enthusiasm into a durable movement at hyperspeed. She still has to make hard choices about how to maximize her time on the trail, choose a running mate and develop a policy platform independent of Biden, while her opponents are eager to define her as unfit for the White House.

“This is the easiest week of the campaign for Harris,” warns Alex Conant, a Republican strategist. “It will not get better.”

Harris insists she’s ready.

On Thursday in Houston, she told Republicans to “bring it on” in “a fight for our most fundamental freedoms.”

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