Kamala Harris’ White House campaign fuels merchandise boom

CHICAGO - The lightning rise of Ms Kamala Harris in the race for the White House has energised Democrats across the United States – but it is also delivering a boost to merchandise vendors.

At the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week, a cornucopia of swag themed around the internet-friendly vice-president and her running mate Tim Walz is enticing delegates to part with their cash.

Vendors in the city’s downtown area told AFP it had been looking like a depressingly slow summer.

That was until Ms Harris jumped into the race, aiming to become the first woman in the Oval Office, and only the second non-white president in US history after Mr Barack Obama.

“It’s fair to say that (regarding) the excitement and the enthusiasm that has surrounded Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, there’s no comparison as far as Joe Biden or even Donald Trump (are concerned), really,” stallholder Brian Randolph told AFP outside McCormick Place, one of the main convention venues.

“This definitely has a Barack Obama feel to it, because it’s an opportunity to make history. People are proud to make history.”

The 54-year-old Alabaman said his Pittsburgh-based apparel company had not even bothered trying to manufacture campaign merchandise until Ms Harris threw her hat in the ring. Now business is booming.

Favourites include T-shirts emblazoned with Ms Harris’ face, as well as items bearing the slogans “We have the audacity to believe” or – in a nod to the contrast Democrats see between former California attorney-general Harris and Trump – “Prosecutor vs Felon”.

Experts say exciting merchandise, while unlikely to convert voters on the other side, can drive small-dollar donations and turnout among those already on board with a party’s cause.

Mr Randolph’s firm, Wise Sayings, has been following Ms Harris’ campaign around the country and says enthusiasm and sales have been ticking up.

“The momentum is growing,” he told AFP with a grin.

“Sales are great... Mostly, every customer is getting more than one item,” he added.

In the era of Trump rallies, it is Republicans who have been associated with campaign merchandise, with supporters showing up to campaign events wearing red hats and T-shirts bearing his campaign slogan “Make America Great Again”.

Inside the Democratic convention’s “DemPalooza” expo, however, a cottage industry of Harris-themed products has sprung up, offering T-shirts, coffee-table books, posters, pens, mugs and jewellery.

Swag-hungry Democrats snap up Harris-Walz camo hats and “Cat Ladies for Kamala” stickers mocking Republican vice-presidential candidate J.D. Vance, who once claimed that the Democratic Party was run by childless women who vest all their affection in their feline friends.

They rest tired feet at the Coconut Club, a relaxing space named after a viral quote from Ms Harris about the tropical fruit, and snap selfies with cardboard cutouts of the vice-president and buy Harris-inspired friendship bracelets.

Beside stalls selling the light-hearted wares are organisations such Voters of Tomorrow and the Progressive Turnout Project that are seeking to capitalise on the buzz around Ms Harris to juice support for Democratic candidates across the country.

Brite Blue Dot, a business that connects Democrats in deeply Republican areas, was offering Kamala car stickers.

The company sells merchandise displaying a blue dot denoting that the owner is progressive, allowing them to show their allegiance without attracting unwelcome attention.

The symbol mostly goes under the radar but can pique curiosity, start conversations or connect like-minded voters without offending conservatives, said founder Joellyn Beckham.

“It’s just a symbol to say when you’re in traffic, if you see one of these, you’re not by yourself,” she added. AFP