GEOFF BENNETT: And for more analysis on the rapidly changing state of the presidential race, we're joined now by Democratic strategist Faiz Shakir and Republican strategist Kevin Madden.

KEVIN MADDEN, Republican Strategist: It's great to have you both here.

GEOFF BENNETT: So, Faiz, V.P.

Harris could hardly have hoped for a better start in establishing herself among Democrats after President Biden abandoned his bid for the 2024 election.

I mean, just judging from her historic fund-raising haul and the apparent level of enthusiasm, what's your assessment of this transition, this handing of the baton from Biden to Harris?

FAIZ SHAKIR, Democratic Strategist: Yes, you're right that It's gone smoothly and that, as a campaign manager, you have got to feel really good about it.

You have got all the tactics lined up to run a very aggressive race against Donald Trump.

Now, let's think about the challenges, because that's what they have to deal with.

At the end of the day, Geoff, voters decide this race.

So as much money as you want, as much delegates as you want, those are all good, but voters are going to decide.

And when you look at the electoral map, she's got to think about Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Nevada, Arizona.

Those are going to be critical, Georgia.

And the map is starting to change, as we were hearing here, that the persuadable voter universe could be large for her.

And you could either think of her as Obama 3.0.

Remember, Obama, in 2008, he wins places like North Carolina, Indiana, Ohio.

He expanded the map.

Why did he win?

Because he's got a lot of young voters, a lot of new voters who voted for Obama.

You could also think of her as Hillary 2.0.

What happened in Hillary, right?

Here's a person who's also well-known, who goes in, loses Michigan, loses Wisconsin, by small margins, loses Pennsylvania.

And I think how you see her, right, is she closer to Obama, is she closer to Hillary, I think would assess the challenges that you're trying to address at this moment.

I would say you need to think about the fact that a lot of the voters right now in a generic Democratic ballot are still not sold on her.

And she's got to think as if she's playing from behind, and she's got to have a pitch to a lot of these voters to get them enthusiastic beyond the core Democratic base.

GEOFF BENNETT: And, Kevin, at this point, how does the Trump campaign pivot?

Because they had a very specific strategy calibrated for a very specific candidate, Joe Biden.

How do they make that move now, especially if Kamala Harris is competitive in states where Joe Biden wasn't?

KEVIN MADDEN: Well, I think, first, they have to move more quickly.

You would have expected that with the developments over the last month that the Trump campaign or somebody inside the Trump campaign would have had the job of saying, OK, if this is not going to be Joe Biden, and we're going to potentially face the undercard on the ticket here, Kamala Harris, at the top of the ticket, then we have to immediately be prepared.

We have to be prepared to immediately go out there and put a frame around Kamala Harris, tie her to the -- this administration's record on immigration, tie it to the administration's record on the economy and inflation, all issues right now that are not pointed favorably for the administration.

I think they were somewhat slow in doing that.

You have seen a little bit of more of a stunted message from - - and a message that's sort of being competitive, depending on which Republicans you have heard from.

So I think they really do have to go -- I think Dave McCormick out in Pennsylvania put out an ad yesterday in the swing state of Pennsylvania that really did draw that very harsh contrast frame around Kamala Harris, everything from the economy, to energy, to health care, to national security.

And I think they have to make sure that they do that relentlessly over the next 100 days of this campaign, because you do not want to allow Kamala Harris and that campaign to take this momentum and really sort of reintroduce herself to these voters.

They want to make sure that they do that before she does.

GEOFF BENNETT: And, Faiz, how does her selection of a vice presidential candidate, how does that affect things?

And who among the reported short list do you think has the best shot here?

FAIZ SHAKIR: Well, I'm not always certain that vice presidents swing elections.

I will say that as a caveat.

That said, I think the battlegrounds, we know, exist.

And so when you think of these people like Mark Kelly from Arizona, Josh Shapiro from Pennsylvania, Gretchen Whitmer from Michigan, they make sense because you need that.

Those are states that you must have.

That said, I would think more importantly about the issues of what is the frame that she wants to tell voters about who she is and who complements that frame, to answer what Kevin was teeing up.

She's onto the frame if she's a prosecutor.

And I think it's a good framework to think about how you're going to hold government accountable, how you're going to prosecute things on behalf - - on the economy to improve people's lives.

You're going to fight for abortion rights.

You're going to fight on democracy rights, as with a prosecutorial mind-set, against Trump.

So I think who's that person who's her -- who is riding cockpit who both emphasizes those qualities and balances out things that aren't necessarily that, who's been a governor, who's been somebody who's had to be at the top of legislating, who helps build relationships across the aisle.

So I imagine that that's the way she's thinking about it.

I couldn't tell you who I think is the best person at this moment.

GEOFF BENNETT: Well, Kevin, as Vice President Harris seeks to define herself as the potential likely nominee, she is facing a barrage of attacks, some of which have been racist and sexist on their face, the Republicans referring to her as a DEI hire.

I think one of the most frequent lines I have heard from Republicans is to say that she's a San Francisco liberal.

And here is how former President Trump during a rally today in Charlotte, here's how he tried to characterize her and her record.

DONALD TRUMP, Former President of the United States (R) and Current U.S. Presidential Candidate: For three-and-a-half years, lying Kamala Harris has been the ultra-liberal driving force behind every single Biden catastrophe.

She is a radical left lunatic who will destroy our country if she ever gets the chance to get into office.

We're not going to let that happen.

GEOFF BENNETT: So does that resonate with independent potential swing voters?

KEVIN MADDEN: Well, look, I think the issues that are going to resonate with those independent voters.

What we know about these swing voters right now is that they do care about immigration.

They do care about the economy.

And they're particularly worried about the economy, when it comes to the economy, about things like housing and inflation.

So presenting Kamala Harris as somebody who is outside the mainstream on all of those issues, totally fair game, the right message.

I actually think the messenger here is the wrong messenger.

Donald Trump at the top of the ticket should not be focused on this -- on the negative message, as much as J.D.

Vance should.

That's one of the things that J.D.

Vance is really going to have to step up, is carry that harder-edged message for the president, so he can talk directly to these voter concerns about the economy, about inflation, about immigration.

And he can do so in a way that's going to be more persuasive for those swing voters.

GEOFF BENNETT: And lastly, Faiz, we saw progressives really circle the wagons around President Biden when other Democrats were calling for him to exit the race, namely, Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Senator Sanders has not yet endorsed V.P.

Harris.

What's he waiting for?

FAIZ SHAKIR: Well, we need to know what she's going to run on.

I mean, the substance matters.

And if you look at what the progressive movement has stood for, for the last few years, Geoff, and you think about Build Back Better, the Rescue Plan, stimulus, where did those come from?

Where do we get cancel student debt from?

It's the progressive movement.

And it has been the role of the progressive movement to say, elections, yes, hold power, yes.

Do something with power.

And so you see Sanders and a number of others saying, Shawn Fain of the UAW saying, tell me what you stand for.

I want to go back to people and say, you're the right choice.

I want to vote for you because you're going to do X as president in the United States.

Help me fill that in.

So, you see, even on whether it's Gaza, whether it's what she want to do about the economy, she's -- Kevin mentioned, she's got opportunities filling the blank for people.

And they're asking, let's fill in those blanks.

GEOFF BENNETT: Faiz Shakir and Kevin Madden, thanks, as always.

Appreciate it.

And, remember, tonight, you can watch our live coverage of President Biden's address to the nation right here on PBS.

That starts at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.