Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, and the sly charm of underdogs
With just a few days left until the US presidential elections, the outcome is uncertain. One thing is clear: the replacement of Joe Biden with Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate has reshuffled the deck , upending messages and strategies. One tactic, however, remains constant, even when it clashes with reality: playing the underdog against a powerful opponent—or even against the system itself. The role-playing game in politics "We got a fight ahead of us, and we are the underdogs in this race": this is what Harris declared at a fundraising event in July. Yet, these words come from the sitting Vice President, who has also served as California’s Attorney General and Senator— hardly an insurgent outsider . Interestingly, in 2016, it was her current opponent, Donald Trump, who played the underdog role and was perceived as such : a wealthy, famous businessman up against the political establishment, financial elites, and the media. The outsider role is easier than you'd