Democratic California Sen. Kamala Harris appears to have pulled a fast one on newly announced 2020 primary opponent Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke.
Shortly after the failed Democratic Texas Senate candidate announced his bid for the 2020 presidential nomination, Harris was asked about him on MSNBC. She told guest host Peter Alexander that “the voters would decide” whether O’Rourke would be her main source of competition, but added, “The more the merrier,” as far as she’s concerned.
Sen. Harris on crowded Democratic field in 2020: “The more the merrier … It’ll be a good race.” pic.twitter.com/I6kTtClGVy
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) March 14, 2019
Harris went on to say that the Democratic 2020 field so far represented “an embarrassment of riches,” adding, “I think it’s going to a robust and healthy process and I’m looking forward to it.” (RELATED: Pence Press Sec Blows Up Kamala Harris Claim That VP’s ‘No Women Alone’ Policy Hurts Women)
.@KamalaHarris: we have an embarrassment of riches among the Democrats who are running. We have incredible public servants who are smart, whose voices are important, and I think it’s going to a robust and healthy process and I’m looking forward to it #AMR
— Andrea Mitchell (@mitchellreports) March 14, 2019
But Harris may also be hedging her bets with a little bit of search-engine manipulation.
A short story of DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY trickery –>
KAMALA HARRIS runs google search ads on BETO’s Name (keywords ‘Beto’ and ‘America)
(1/) pic.twitter.com/fJ83G5snLV
— Logan Dobson (@LoganDobson) March 14, 2019
when the user clicks – intentionally or unintentionally – they’re taken to a KAMALA sign-up page.
But TWIST: the page has been doctored to match BETO’S black & white colors, and Kamala logo moved off to the side
(tricky Kamala-Beto page left, regular Kamala-Kamala page right) pic.twitter.com/NPlVzIQfjY
— Logan Dobson (@LoganDobson) March 14, 2019
The proof that this was intentionally doctored to look like a Beto page? All in the URL for the search ad –> https://t.co/Wjpusio3Fq
Look closely and you’ll see “%2Bbeto and %2Bamerica_ad”
— Logan Dobson (@LoganDobson) March 14, 2019
The issue isn’t running search ads against your opponents name — that’s super common and non-controversial!
But designing a new email sign-up page to mimic your opponent’s color scheme? That’s just a weeeeeee bit trickier.
to be clear, I admire it
— Logan Dobson (@LoganDobson) March 14, 2019
Somebody’s PR team might be getting a raise for this.