Vice President and Presidential candidate Kamala Harris, 59, sparked debate when she appeared on the Call Her Daddy podcast, with New York Post columnist Kirsten Fleming calling the interview a “joke”.
On the podcast, which has a (mainly female) following of 5 million, issues such as abortion and sexual assault were talked about with podcast host Alex Cooper, 30.
Harris also recalled a friend suffering from sexual abuse, something which inspired her to become California’s chief prosecutor.
Harris responded to remarks made by Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, 42, who had criticised her for not having biological children. The governor said: “So my kids keep me humble. Unfortunately, Kamala Harris doesn’t have anything keeping her humble.”
Harris defended her “modern family,” which includes her stepchildren, and highlighted the importance and acceptance of diverse family structures. Harris also said: “This is not the 1950s”.
Other comments, such as JD Vance’s “childless cat ladies” referring to Taylor Swift, were reacted to.
The podcast, which had a $60m deal with Spotify in 2021, has a reputation for explicit conversations on sex, relationships and cultural matters.
This then raises the question: is it appropriate for politicians to partake in podcasts with such explicit subject matters, or is it a new way to connect with younger voters?
Needless to say, podcasts are very popular, especially among youths. Their uniqueness lies in their ability to hold long discussions and or interviews and have topics not always discussed on TV.
For politicians, podcasts are an opportunity to break through conventional TV and radio interviews and speak directly to voters.
Harris’s podcast appearance was effective to a certain degree in making herself personable. The interview was friendly, unscripted and less formal than TV interviews. By sharing some of her personal stories, Harris was able to present herself as relatable whilst also talking about serious issues like reproductive rights.
Podcasts offer more time to further explain policy positions or address personal experiences, shaping their narrative without being challenged and questioned. Harris’s appearance allowed her to discuss important issues in a calm, uninterrupted space, something rare in present-day fast-paced news interviews.
Whilst these advantages are valid, podcasts still pose a risk of alienating potential voters with the possibility of an attempt to pander to younger audiences, potentially trivialising the serious issues.
There is also the reputation of the politician to consider. Casual media appearances can erode the seriousness expected of elected leaders. While podcasts offer a chance to be more relatable, there’s a fine line between being approachable and undermining credibility.
Overall, podcasts are a popular form of media which cannot be ignored. Politicians will continually use podcasts as a new platform to appeal to younger audiences, fully explain policies and be relatable. No doubt, there are potential problems with reputation and trivialising issues, but what media platform is without its pros and cons?
Feature Image Credit: Pexels Free Photos.
I am a third-year Politics and Journalism Studies student at the University of Stirling (2022-) and a writer and sub-editor for the Brig for over a year (Nov. 2023-), focusing mainly on political topics.
