Kamala Harris has always been her own worst enemy, from the bad decision that ended up launching her into politics to her disastrous 2020 Presidential run that ran out of steam before the first primary. Now Politico’s Eugene Daniels has interviewed the Vice President, and managed to sidestep her bad decisions, her inarticulate attempts to speak in public, and her overall incompetence.
Backstage, as she prepares for a not-so-intimate “fireside chat” about gun safety in front of hundreds of people, Kamala Harris is unscripted and seemingly at ease, no notes or teleprompter in sight.
She’s comfortable offering condolences and counsel to those who’ve lost loved ones to gun violence — who stream in wearing red shirts emblazoned with “Moms Demand Action” or “Students Demand Action.” She holds their hands and looks into their eyes. “We speak their names,” she whispers to one woman. She gently reassures a man clearly anxious about where to stand in the photo line.
All eyes are on her. But that’s been true of Harris for a while now. And the view has not often been kind.
The view has not often been kind because she so regularly screws things up. Honestly, in almost fifty years of watching elections and political arguments, I’ve never seen someone so egregiously awful at speaking, with or without a teleprompter; she’s just bad at it. Here, have a look at a few of her more egregious word salads:
Here’s the interesting statement from the VP, though:
“You could have followed me around in Iowa [ahead of 2020],” Harris told POLITICO in one of two exclusive interviews. “You would have seen the same thing four years ago. It’s always who I’ve been. So I can’t get into people’s heads about why they characterize things as being one way or another. It’s not as though I’ve just found myself. I’ve always been here and never went away.”
Note that statement, direct from the VP’s mouth: “So I can’t get into people’s heads…” That is precisely Kamala Harris’s problem, and not in the way she thinks. As my colleague Sister Toldjah said in a very eloquent piece the other day:
As I’ve said before, Kamala Harris has and always will be her own worst enemy. It’s what happens when one’s career starts off the way Harris’ did. You begin to expect to be given preferential treatment as you climb the ladder and treated to fawning interviews in the press because of “who you are” and what you supposedly represent from a “historical” perspective.
That is the nub of the problem. Like Barack Obama, Kamala Harris never faced any real political or personal challenge until she ran for President, at which point she crashed and burned like the Hindenburg before a single primary or caucus was held. She was chosen to be Joe Biden’s running mate because she had the correct plumbing and skin color, not because of any special skill or ability she brought to the table; she didn’t even bring in a swing state, as VP candidates are frequently chosen to do – California was going to go blue even if Joe Biden had a psychotic break the day before the election.
But that doesn’t stop Eugene Daniels from sounding a hopeful note:
Now, there’s a hope the rockiness may finally be behind them. And there is a concerted effort underway to ensure that she not only has the support she needs from the White House but that the broader public can see the side of her that — they believe — has been overshadowed by the toxic elements of D.C. To that end, her aides are trying to remind the public of that person, in part by inviting reporters to witness her behind the scenes.
“It’s always been true that there’s a delta between how people in D.C. view her versus when she’s out doing her thing in the country with the American people. I think D.C. is starting to catch up,” said White House chief of staff Jeff Zients. “I would argue she’s been great throughout, but as she’s really mastered the demands of the job and been through so much already, that experience enables her to perform at an even higher level.”
Honestly, anyone who uses terms like “…there’s a delta between how…” should never be allowed to make public statements. Zients should have just said “difference.” He seems to be trying to sound intellectual, but it comes across as pettifoggery. But I digress.
If you strip all the political hoo-raw and doublespeak out of that, what you get is “People’s bad perceptions of her aren’t her fault; they just haven’t been paying close enough attention. But she’s gaining ground now.” This is, of course, the purest of corral litter, suitable only for enriching lawns.
The truth is this: Kamala Harris is recognized as a massive liability, even by liberal, Democrat-aligned outlets. She radiates insincerity and doesn’t take ordinary folks seriously. Her extremely poor public speaking skill and her penchant for bursting out in teeth-jarring cackles at inappropriate moments doom her in any campaign. She made it as far as the Senate because she never faced any serious opposition, because her career was boosted from the very start by influential allies, and her lack of any real ability became apparent when Tulsi Gabbard eviscerated her in one of the 2020 Democrat primary debates.
VP Harris is a massive liability, as is her boss. If the Democrats want to make a serious play to retain the White House in 2024, both of them have to go.
