Those folks you just brought up amount to a side mission.
The logic you are applying to the main mission may or may not be something that you have to apply to the side stuff. Doesn't even remotely have to by "It doesn't apply to 'Y', so it is obviously not something that applies to 'X'..." sort of a situation.
Having the time to take five or ten minutes here and there to give those folks the business doesn't really have much to do with that it just doesn't make much sense to deal with Harris when there are obviously more pressing threats on the "Election" front.
If he loses based on time lost to those folks you brought up, he was already a goner.