ISABELLE MULLEN: Democratic National Convention to be Kamala Harris’ first big test as presidential candidate

Kamala Harris has said very little for weeks.

It’s a strategy that has infuriated Republicans and journalists in equal measure.

The presumptive Democratic nominee has been attacked for the increasing number of days she’s refused to hold a formal press conference or take part in a sit-down interview. To date that number is 29.

It means her ideas and policies are broadly untested.

Her presidential rival Donald Trump — on the other hand — held two press conferences in one week alone.

He appeared to go almost entirely off script at a press conference at his golf course in New Jersey on August 15, but some news outlets praised the former president for answering questions for up to 80 minutes.

The Democrats insist it’s a sign he’s worried and if you believe the polls, he has good reason to be.

Harris now holds a narrow lead. In a head-to-head match among registered voters, Harris stands at 49 per cent and Trump 45 per cent.

It’s an unexpected surge for the Democrats, who were contemplating the very real prospect of defeat under U.S President Joe Biden less than one month ago.

No matter what you think Harris, her “silent” strategy appears to be working.

Because we know very little about what she stands for, she can stand for anything.

The democratic messaging has been simple and effective.

Instead of talking about what she is and what she stands for, she’s let the American people decide what they like about her and what they’d like her to be.

Harris has been sold as a younger, newer, brighter alternative to two older men the American people appear to have grown tired of.

It’s a stark contrast to the messaging used when Joe Biden was still in the race. He told the American people to “vote for the country you want, not the candidate you want.”

But in a two-horse race, the candidate matters.

For disenchanted voters in swinging states, the choice between Biden and Trump was not obvious.

Both men are from opposite ends of the political spectrum but on face value, they represent the same thing. They are male, white and of a certain age.

Harris is none of those things.

But instead of talking about what she is and what she stands for, she’s let the American people decide what they like about her and what they’d like her to be.

On face value, she casts a wider net.

Formerly California’s attorney general, Harris is biracial and a step-parent which means she can play a different hand.

At 59 years old she’s also about 20 years younger than Biden and Trump.

Despite the momentum, some older voters worry about the Vice President’s gender and age.

Her running mate Tim Walz appears to be a good pick.

He offers something more conservative voters can relate to, bragging the title of Minnesota Governor, Walz is a former high school football coach and soldier in the National Guard.

He’s carefully positioned to reassure cynics — that with him by her side — she can get the job done.

In January, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found most Americans were dissatisfied with their options, revealing voters didn’t want Biden (70 per cent) or Trump (56 per cent) to run for president.

Trump has made repeated promises to “Make America Great Again” and bring back the American Dream. He spoke to Elon Musk about it and said, “You know, they want the American dream back, more important than anything else.”

The Democrats insist that Harris embodies that ideal.

The daughter of immigrants, Harris worked at McDonald’s to put herself through college and even wrote a book about it — The American Dream Belongs To All Of Us was published in 2022.

The Democratic National Convention will be a test for the Vice President ahead of the next presidential debate on September 10.

Harris will not only have to reveal her policies, but she’ll also have to defend them.

How she performs on that stage could determine whether she can keep her own dream alive.

Isabelle Mullen is a Federal Political Reporter with 7NEWS