If Kamala Harris has strived for one thing for four years, it is to achieve it. Don’t overshadow Joe BidenWhether out of conviction or insecurity, she has preferred to remain in the background, prompting Americans to get to know their vice president, but not so much who she really is and what this 59-year-old woman believes.
Now, Biden’s farewell and the fact that the president still refers to her as the Democrats’ top candidate puts her in second place. Trump’s first position Until November.
Americans have watched her travel up and down the country trying to control immigration, to no avail, or champion the climate fight. It is ideologically positioned. Further to the left than Biden She was noted for attacking Republicans for restricting abortion. She made no major missteps, but she also did not have any great milestones or defining moments during her tenure.
Harris has also traveled around the world to meet with many world leaders. Gain experience as a statesman, But visits were made with little media coveragein part, by lack of popular interest she has.
Harris’s Weaknesses
Observers say the respected former California attorney general has been unable to shake off the same temperament that disqualified her at the start of the Democratic primary four years ago; he dropped out of the race when the first Iowa caucuses had not yet been held and polls gave him less than 1 percent of the vote.
Now, as then, voters see it. Diffuse, distant, uncharismatic and inauthentic; It’s kind of like what happened to Hillary Clinton. Trump’s former rival may have been very well prepared professionally, but it turns out that if you don’t get along well with a large portion of the population, you’re going to have a very hard time getting elected; and if they don’t see the person behind the candidate, they don’t trust him.
Why did you become vice president?
If Joe Biden chose her second, it was because of circumstances, not because he trusted her or because she impressed the base.
It was summer 2020 The country was set on fire as a result. Racist and social protests For the death of George Floyd. Biden had already won the primaries and had to choose a vice presidential candidate who would satisfy other sensibilities in the party, in particular, the more left-wing and women.
One choice option Woman, racist, daughter of a Caribbean father and an Indian motherAnd, who rose to prominence in the Senate for his ability to attack Republicans, he seemed to many an inevitable choice.
No profile
Four years later, Harris has been accused of lacking communication skills, being afraid to give interviews after making a mistake, and failing to define a distinct image or present a clear vision for the country. Few doubt what Joe Biden wants and who he is or what Donald Trump wants and who he is, but with the vice president, the answers are more confusing.
It’s a hard policy to define. There’s something wrong with it that some people see. Conservative tics And others like one Dangerous leftist. There are many things about him that are dual. He is biracial: black and Asian. He is of mixed social background: the daughter of immigrants, yes, but well-off. He has – Poorly defined ideological imagehe takes on issues like abortion, but he takes a tough stance on crime when he was California’s attorney general.
the press Washington, which followed it closely, confirms this. It is more effective over short distances. In one-on-one situations rather than on big stages, he advocates better by talking about specific things and policies rather than generalities, and he has difficulty articulating big ideas that have impact.
Sexism and racism
Many Americans doubt the country is ready to welcome a racist woman into the Oval Office, and Kamala Harris’s entourage says the criticism is largely directed Product of sexist and racist attitudes.
They remember, and it’s true, that vice presidents always keep one in the first term. low profile So as not to overshadow their president who is running for re-election, they will not be able to stand out more until the second term.
One of Biden’s virtues is that, because of his temperament and track record, he has been able to reach many centrist voters and white men in major industrialized states. It’s not clear that Harris can do the same because of lprogressive label.
The downside is that in light of November 5, It could energize more women, blacks and disillusioned voters. With Biden going to the polls, and with the experience of a prosecutor, he could play a better role in a televised debate against Trump than the president.
For three and a half years, Harris has been less popular than Biden. That began to change after the president’s disastrous July 27 debate against his predecessor.
Now, the vice president is already ahead of her mentor in approval, though she’s only at a dismal 40 percent. If he loses by six points to Trump, she’ll only lose by two. So, on paper, he’s in trouble, but at least he’ll have more options to win.
“Freelance social media evangelist. Organizer. Certified student. Music maven.”
