Kamala Harris memes have lit up the internet. It’s a spotlight Andy Beshear knows well
After launching her presidential campaign this week, energized supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris are flooding the internet with semi-ironic coconut-themed memes, based on a quirky, now-viral May 2023 remark.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a potential Harris running mate, probably understands what that’s like.
Back in March 2020, Kentucky, like many places across the country, was seeing its first confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths. Schools shuttered, non-essential businesses closed to the public and the NCAA college basketball tournament, widely enjoyed as March Madness, was canceled.
Isolated and locked inside their homes, many Kentuckians tuned into Gov. Beshear’s regular news conferences, often held daily at 5 p.m. and live-streamed from the governor’s YouTube and Facebook accounts. At the end of these “Team Kentucky” broadcasts, after sharing the latest news and reminding residents to practice physical distancing and masking, Beshear tried to lift viewers spirits, often signing off with “we’ll get through this together.”
Responding to that message, and perhaps longing for some levity amid the doom and gloom, Kentuckians began flooding social media with affectionate Andy Beshear memes comparing him to Mr. Rogers and Kermit the frog.
The phenomenon even spawned a Facebook group: “Andy beshear memes for social distancing teens,” where some of the most popular and inventive jokes circulated. At the time, the group had more than 15,000 members, and it saw new memes submitted by the minute, the group’s founder Jeremy McFarland told the Herald-Leader.
James Line, a fellow administrator of the Facebook group, curated some of the most popular memes on X, formerly Twitter. Amid the buzz around Harris’ presidential bid, and mixed reports Beshear is in the running to be her vice presidential candidate, those memes are seeing something of a revival.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Harris has not announced a running mate for her 2024 campaign.
Got a favorite Andy Beshear meme? Send us an email with it at ask@herald-leader.com or send your Kentucky questions via our Know Your Kentucky form.
This story was originally published July 24, 2024 at 1:01 PM with the headline "Kamala Harris memes have lit up the internet. It’s a spotlight Andy Beshear knows well."