Protecting special counsel Robert Mueller is a good government prerogative. It is also a political opportunity, and Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., as been making the most of it amid increased speculation she will make a run for the presidency.
Acronym, a progressive digital firm, noticed that the Kamala Harris for Senate campaign had run around 1,100 Facebook ads asking her supporters to sign a petition to “protect the Mueller investigation” (920 were still active at last glance).
The petition, of course, is meaningless. Spilt digital ink will do nothing to protect the beleaguered lawman in the grand scheme of things. It will, however, as Molly Redden of HuffPost points out, help Harris build a digital army. This is because the ads aren’t just about fundraising and exposure. They are a recruitment tool that allows the Harris political machine to collect the names and email addresses of potential supporters.
While the ad buy comes at a will-she-won’t-she moment, it shows that Harris will be prepared either way. It also shows at the same time that Harris expects Russian election meddling and the Mueller investigation will be on the minds of Democratic voters as they head into the primary voting booth.
The 2020 election is coming, and Harris will be ready.
