The political whiplash effect is Harris-Walz's secret weapon

This summer in politics has been a whirlwind. Democrats went from what seemed like almost certain defeat by Donald Trump to President Joe Biden stepping aside and handing the political torch to Vice President Kamala Harris. These last eight or so weeks also included the Republican and Democratic Party’s national conventions, an assassination attempt on Trump’s life, and a disastrous first debate between Biden and Trump. Many political experts have described this series of events as being some of the most consequential and rapid in recent American history in the shortest amount of time. We are now on the eve of one of the most anticipated presidential debates in history.

As I have tried to make sense of this summer, and the Age of Trump more generally, I have kept returning to the image of a car going around a racetrack in an endless circle at high speed and unable to stop. It is loud, fast, and disorienting while at the same time being very tedious and repetitive. Those of us in this car — and watching it from the stands — are suffering from motion sickness. With the sudden change of political fortunes in these last weeks, it feels as if the American people have gotten a whiplash or a concussion.

The Centers for Disease Control lists the following signs of a concussion:

• Can't recall events prior to or after a hit or fall.

• Appears dazed or stunned.

• Forgets an instruction, is confused about an assignment or position, or is unsure of the game, score, or opponent.

• Moves clumsily.

• Answers questions slowly.

• Loses consciousness (even briefly).

• Shows mood, behavior, or personality changes.

Reported symptoms of concussion may include:

• Headache or "pressure" in head.

• Nausea or vomiting.

• Balance problems or dizziness, or double or blurry vision.

• Bothered by light or noise.

• Feeling sluggish, hazy, foggy, or groggy.

• Confusion, or concentration or memory problems.

• Just not "feeling right," or "feeling down".

Because the personal is the political, these symptoms and effects can apply to both individuals and societies. To that point, public opinion research and other evidence show that the Age of Trump has had many moments where the American people, both individually and collectively, have manifested these symptoms of a concussion.

The next seventy or so days until Election Day will feel both slow and very fast. In addition, to being an example of some type of collective whiplash or concussion, this experience of time distortion is a response to individual and collective trauma.

In a 2023 essay at PsyPost, Eric Dolan explains the concept of “temporal disintegration” and its implications:

Experiencing a psychological phenomenon known as temporal disintegration during or shortly after a collective trauma is associated with higher levels of distress both in the immediate aftermath and over time, according to new research published in Clinical Psychological Science. The findings suggest that the acute temporal distortions experienced during a trauma are an important contributor to future expectations and fears.

Traumatic experiences can profoundly alter an individual’s understanding of the world and trigger various cognitive and emotional processes to cope with the trauma. These experiences can also distort our perception of time.

During and immediately after a traumatic event, individuals may perceive time as slowing down or stopping, focusing only on the present moment with little awareness of the past and future. This distortion of time, called temporal disintegration, can isolate people in a stressful moment and disrupt the linear flow of time that weaves our life story together, affecting personal identity.

Temporal disintegration has been linked to long-term psychological adjustment following exposure to disasters. It can make individuals fixated on past negative events, leading to diminished well-being and increased distress over time. However, there is a lack of information about how trauma-related distortions in perceived time may be associated with our perceptions of the future, creating a gap in understanding the lasting impacts of temporal disintegration.

One can easily substitute “the American people” for “individuals” and the above description still largely applies. The treatment for a concussion or whiplash involves rest and steadying oneself—and limiting or avoiding the movements and activities that caused the injuries in the first place.

During her first major televised interview since becoming the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, on Thursday, Harris, and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, provided an example of what that could look like. Harris, as expected, was confident and poised as she explained her policy positions and how her thinking has changed over the years. She dismissed Trump’s absurd claims about her racial identity in such a manner that it made him look even more ridiculous — as though that is possible. CNN’s host, Dana Bash, as is typical for the mainstream news media, recycled Republican and right-wing talking points and accusations as though they were truth and not partisan attacks. Harris and Walz deflected them, and in total did an excellent job of staying on message and credit-claiming for her accomplishments as Biden’s vice president. In short, Kamala Harris looked “presidential.”

Trump and his propagandists were left with little to substantively disagree with or attack besides standard talking-point right-wing-playbook grumblings about the length of the interview (it was approximately 30 mins instead of the scheduled 60 mins; CNN edited the interview for length) and that CNN is part of the “liberal media,” which of course is never to be trusted. Donald Trump responded on his Truth Social disinformation propaganda platform by attacking Harris for being a “communist” who will turn the country into a “wasteland” if she becomes president. Trump also made odd comments about the setting for the interview and the size of the desk that Harris sat behind. Trump said it was not befitting a “leader” who will be respected around the world and have to confront political strongmen and bullies such as North Korea’s Kim Jon-un or China’s President Xi. CNN’s interview took place at a Black-owned restaurant in Savannah, Georgia.

The Guardian’s David Smith described the contrast between Trump and Harris in the following way:

Donald Trump spent Thursday in Michigan raving about bacon, windmills, Al Capone, trans boxers, nuclear war and, of course, his crowd size. Weird! Kamala Harris and Tim Walz gave an interview on CNN that was … radically normal.

Just as she did a week ago at the Democratic national convention, the vice-president was comfortable and composed, solid and unspectacular, doing enough to clear the bar and doing herself no harm. She turned a much hyped first interview as nominee into a soon-to-be-forgotten pit stop along the campaign trail.

Perhaps most important was the personality test. The old saw in presidential campaigns was: which candidate would you rather have a beer with? Harris and Walz came over as the couple you’d be fine sharing cake and coffee with at your kids’ birthday party. The same cannot be said of the former president and his running mate, JD Vance.

Democrats’ bet is that Americans crave such relatability after a decade of Trump’s malignant narcissism and Joe Biden’s struggles with old age. The current president turned every interview into a nerve-wracking high-wire act. Harris was a fresh-faced model of steadiness by comparison.

The news site AZCentral.com described Harris’ CNN interview as “too sane to be great TV. And that's a good thing.” Trump’s “brand” as a political figure-entertainer-character is surprise, predictable unpredictability, and the cliffhanger. If the medium is indeed the message, Trump, and his mastery of the logic of television and digital media have been among his greatest weapons. Kamala Harris is offering a radical alternative.

As happy and joyful warriors for democracy and the American project, Harris and Walz are presenting an image (and energy) of responsible leadership, determination, and progress as part of an attempt (and narrative) to reclaim the brand of “patriotism” and “real American values” from Trump, the Republicans, and the larger “conservative” movement.

But at its core, Harris and the Democrats are trying to revitalize a faith and belief in the presidency, democracy, government, and a type of healthy normal that has been so greatly diminished by the Age of Trump.

On Election Day, the American people will choose between the healthy normal of Kamala Harris’ and the Democrats’ vision for America or the whiplash politics and suffering more concussions from Dictator Trump and his MAGAfied Republicans and the other neofascists.