President Joe Biden officially dropped his reelection bid in a whirlwind month of the presidential race. In his place, Biden endorsed current Vice President Kamala Harris. With just under 100 days until election night, Harris is sprinting toward the finish line. It’s challenging to gather significant support this late in the race. Did Biden make the right call stepping down, especially this late?
Following her appointment, Harris has been flooded with support from the Democratic party — notably Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
“With immense pride and limitless optimism for our country’s future, I endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for President of the United States. I have full confidence that she will lead us to victory in November,” Pelosi announced on X.
In the first 24 hours following Biden’s exit, Harris raised $81 million in donations. Her total contribution is over $126 million. 64% of the contributions have been from new donors who previously didn’t contribute to the 2024 election cycle. Besides a notable financial boost, the campaign team added about 74,000 new volunteers.
Harris’ campaign website has been published, and traces of Biden are disappearing. Her major rebrand includes a new merchandise line and updated social media. New campaign ads — some targeting her Republican opponent — have been released.
“In this election, we each face a question: What kind of country do we want to live in? We each have the power to answer that question and in the next 103 days, we have work to do,” Harris wrote in a post on X.
Gen Z has taken the internet by storm since news of Harris’ nomination. From making pop remixes of audio clips of her speeches to public endorsements from celebrities, there’s an interesting blend of social media, memes, pop culture and politics all cultivating together in a new trend. For people chronically off the internet, these memes are hilarious and important for her visibility and support.
The most iconic of the memes is taken from Harris making an official remark for a swearing-in ceremony in May 2023. In the context of the speech, she honors Miguel Cardona, the Secretary of Education, and touches on topics ranging from education to equity. The famous clip is taken from this speech, with people quoting the specific segment as a joke.
“My mother used to — she would give us a hard time sometimes, and she would say to us, “I don’t know what’s wrong with you young people. You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?” (Laughs.),” she said. “You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.”
From that quote, a meme was born. From Instagram to TikTok, the saying “you think you just fell out of a coconut tree?” is everywhere. It’s even flooded Gen Z jargon, with my friends quoting it religiously. I haven’t gone a day without hearing it.
On the Drew Barrymore Show, host Barrymore famously coined the term “Momala.”
“I keep thinking in my head that we all need a mom. I’ve been thinking that we really all need a tremendous hug in the world right now. But in our country, we need you to be Momala of the country,” Barrymore said.
Amid all the memes, could the internet’s laughable response to her election be helping or hurting her? On one hand, this could be great for her visibility and favorability, especially for the vital Gen Z and millennial vote.
On the other hand, this could work against her and seriously harm her campaign. As a presidential candidate, she needs to take matters seriously. Will voters rally around someone humorous? Can she handle high-pressure situations, meet with foreign officials and even make world-altering decisions about nuclear warfare?
As the race to election day continues, one must keep a close eye on “Momala” and how people respond to her being in the spotlight.
