HOUSTON (AP) 鈥� The first change that stands out , 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 on the election operation. She鈥檚 raising and drawing an outpouring of 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, and develop a policy platform independent of Biden, while her opponents are eager to define her as unfit for the White House.
鈥淭his is the easiest week of the campaign for Harris,鈥� warns Alex Conant, a Republican strategist. 鈥淚t will not get better.鈥�
Harris insists she's ready.
On Thursday in Houston, she told Republicans to in 鈥渁 fight for our most fundamental freedoms.鈥�
As she hits the road, Harris' most dependable applause line has been "we're not going back." She might be referring to Republican candidate Donald Trump, but it doubles as a pitch for the generational change that she's offering.
as his successor with just 107 days left in the race, and Conant described her campaign as being 鈥渓aunched off an aircraft carrier.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 never been done before," he said. 鈥淭his is stuff that people usually spend years developing, and she鈥檚 doing it in days.鈥�
Trump is on Harris, calling her 鈥渂ad news鈥� and 鈥渁 radical left, not very smart person鈥� in an interview with Fox News on Thursday. Some Republicans have also suggested that Harris' career has only advanced ; she鈥檚 the first woman, Black person and person of 麻豆传媒AV Asian descent to serve as vice president.
Sen. Laphonza Butler, a California Democrat, says Harris is prepared for the extraordinary pressures of the campaign.
鈥淪he is clear eyed about the attacks that she is going to face," Butler said. "But she鈥檚 also determined and confident in what leadership she can offer the Democratic Party and the American people.鈥�
Democrats are happy with Harris' early days, and they're relieved that has not devolved into painful infighting. Former President Barack Obama is preparing his own endorsement after being privately supportive of her candidacy, according to a person familiar with the matter who requested anonymity before an announcement.
鈥淭he party was ready to unite behind her," said Anna Greenberg, a Democratic pollster. 鈥淚f the opposite had happened, it would have been a complete disaster.鈥�
Like Biden, Harris has struggled with low approval ratings. But her team argues that she's well positioned to increase her support with young people, women and voters of color. If successful, she could compete more effectively in places like Georgia, Arizona and North Carolina, as opposed to just the 鈥渂lue wall鈥� states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan where Biden has been more focused.
There are dangers, too. Harris needs to avoid losing too much support among men, white people and older voters, which would erase her advantages with other parts of the electorate.
鈥淧eople don鈥檛 know her that well," said Celinda Lake, a Democratic pollster. "It鈥檚 a fight to define her.鈥�
Republicans have a head start, at least when it comes to advertising. Trump and his allies are on television and radio this week. However, Lake said Harris has one important thing going for her.
鈥淎mericans like the new shiny thing," she said. "And Donald Trump is not new or shiny.鈥�
Some Democrats are holding their breath, recalling how Harris' campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination before a single primary vote was cast. Her team was beset by infighting, and she failed to articulate a clear message in a crowded field of candidates.
More difficulty came after she became Biden's running mate and took office alongside him. She struggled with staff turnover and muddled messaging.
Harris has to restore a sense of stability to a political operation that has been rocked by historic turbulence in the month since lit the fuse for his eventual decision to drop his reelection bid.
At campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, 鈥淜amala鈥� signs were swiftly printed and taped up on the walls next to 鈥淏iden Harris鈥� ones.
Some of the campaign鈥檚 leadership 鈥� Jen O鈥橫alley Dillon as chair and Julie Rodriguez as manager鈥� are remaining in place. But Mike Donilon, a longtime Biden confidant, is stepping back from his original prominent role. It's likely that Harris will expand the team with advisers of her own.
Harris visited Wilmington on Monday, the day after Biden announced he was dropping out. The staff cheered as she entered, and one woman appeared overcome with emotion, her eyes glistening.
鈥淲e鈥檙e on the right side of every single issue, and we have this team right here and thousands of others all around the country," Harris told campaign workers who packed into a stuffy room to hear from their new candidate.
She spent the rest of the week tending to critical constituencies 鈥� battleground state voters near Milwaukee, Black women at a sorority conference in Indianapolis and union members at a teacher convention in Houston.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin, a Wisconsin Democrat, told reporters that Harris' candidacy is 鈥渁 new beginning for the party, a new beginning for the country."
鈥淭his is really wonderful,鈥� she added.
When Harris returned to Washington on Thursday afternoon, there were 103 days until the election.
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Megerian reported from Washington. AP Writer Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report.
Chris Megerian And Josh Boak, The Associated Press
