In the summer of 2024, the political landscape was marked by a series of bewildering events, with the political elite seemingly entranced by a wave of internet memes and a British pop sensation.
The year was rife with political gaffes, from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's assertion that President Joe Biden deserves a place on Mount Rushmore alongside figures such as Lincoln and Washington, to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz's ill-advised attempt to portray himself as an experienced pheasant hunter, followed by a cringe-worthy gaming session with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. However, one incident encapsulated the disconnect between the political elite and the average American citizen: the phenomenon known as "brat summer."
As reported by the Daily Caller, Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign team sought to capitalize on the popularity of British pop star Charli XCX's sixth studio album, "Brat," which had gone viral on social media. The Harris campaign adopted the album's neon green color and black font on their Twitter account in an attempt to rebrand the Vice President, often criticized as a corporate puppet, as a dynamic, relatable figure.
Charli XCX defined a "brat" as a "girl who is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things sometimes." She elaborated on this in a TikTok post, saying, "Youre just like that girl who feels herself but maybe also has a breakdown. But kind of like, parties through it, is very honest, very blunt. A little bit volatile. Like, does dumb things. But its brat. Youre brat. Thats brat."
The liberal media was quick to embrace this narrative, with news cycles throughout July and August dominated by discussions of the campaign's "joy" and "good vibes." A CNN headline from late October even proclaimed, "American Battleground: How brat summer set up Kamala Harris remarkable run." However, this attempt to rebrand Harris was met with widespread ridicule, and in retrospect, appears even more misguided.
The seriousness with which the Harris campaign and the media treated "brat summer" exposed a critical flaw in the Democratic Party: their inability to effectively defend a failing status quo. Their strategy of appealing exclusively to their base, particularly the young, urban, and internet-savvy, demonstrated a profound misunderstanding of the broader American populace. This disconnect is symptomatic of a larger issue: the political elite's increasing isolation from the realities of everyday American life.
While "brat summer" may have resonated with affluent white liberals, it failed to strike a chord with the rest of the country. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the widening gap between the political elite and the average American citizen, a gap that continues to grow with each passing day.
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