President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race amid concern from fellow Democrats that he stood no probability of beating Donald Trump this go-round. “I imagine it’s in the very best curiosity of my celebration and the nation for me to face down,” Biden posted to X, earlier than shortly after throwing his “full help and endorsement” behind Vice President Kamala Harris changing into the celebration’s new nominee.
“Democrats — it is time to come collectively and beat Trump,” Biden added. “Let’s do that.”
However can Harris “do that”?
It is arduous to conclude that Harris would fare worse than Biden, whose cognitive difficulties had been so obvious his personal celebration got here to view him as a severe electoral legal responsibility.
But if one recollects Harris’ personal ill-fated run on the Democratic nomination in 2020, and her time in politics earlier than then, the mathematics on this equation turns into considerably fuzzier—Harris was a really unhealthy candidate. And previous to that, she perpetuated some actually unhealthy insurance policies.
Kamala Harris the horrible campaigner and Kamala Harris the cop may be straightforward to overlook if you happen to’re solely contemplating what Harris has achieved recently. Her tenure as vp has been virtually totally unremarkable. Essentially the most distinguishing function has been a sequence of weird however benign phrase salads. And political reminiscence is brief.
So Harris is not the very best orator? Absolutely that is surmountable. In addition to, the shortage of distinguishing actions throughout her vice presidency might even be to her benefit. She’s principally a clean slate, at the very least if you happen to do not look again too far.
However what if you happen to do look again?
The very first thing you may see is Harris’ shambolic 2020 marketing campaign for president. She would not commit to coverage positions. She could not defend her previous actions. There have been ongoing tales about her poor therapy of her workers. She entered the race as a top-tier candidate, with glowing press and a few big-time backers, and dropped out two months earlier than the Iowa caucuses, polling at simply 3 p.c nationally. She wasn’t even polling as a top-tier candidate in her dwelling state of California.
It was unimaginable in that marketing campaign to determine what Harris stood for. This wasn’t only a case of nationwide campaigning jitters. One main thread in Harris’ profession—together with throughout her days as district lawyer of San Francisco and lawyer common of California—has been flip-flopping on points to go well with the viewers or the political second.
This will likely have labored as a short-term technique. However it left a long-term impression of her as rudderless and ruthless—a phony. It is going to be extremely straightforward for Republicans to painting her as somebody who stands for nothing, or as no matter it’s they assume you may hate most, like a consultant of “California socialism.” (By no means thoughts that the GOP’s personal candidate is not precisely a stalwart of consistency.)
The picture of Harris as slippery—all ambition, no ideology—could contribute to her unpopularity amongst American voters. It is virtually definitely extra of a legal responsibility than the once-common critique that Harris was an overzealous cop and drug warrior.
Harris’ tough-on-crime previous makes her unpopular amongst leftists and extra radical wings of the Democratic Occasion, in addition to amongst civil libertarians and prison justice reformers. There is not any doubt that this may come again to hang-out her once more ought to she grow to be the Democratic nominee.
However this previous could have been particularly hurtful in 2020, when the protests impressed by George Floyd’s dying had been nonetheless raging and prison justice reform momentum was nonetheless vibrant. (Keep in mind “defund the police”?) And it seemingly mattered extra in a Democratic main than it might in a common election, for the reason that sorts to search out fault with Harris’ prosecutorial document are unlikely to search out Trump and Republicans a extra welcome different.
If something, a few of the lip-service Harris paid to progressive justice beliefs—each in 2020 and in California—could also be utilized by Republicans to assist flip safety-minded independents in opposition to her.
Meaning Harris’ turnabouts on justice points—not her precise document—could wind up harming her most. It leaves her susceptible to assaults from each the left and the appropriate on this entrance—to allegations that she’s been each too aggressive and too lenient on crime, even when solely certainly one of these (the aggressiveness) has been borne out past simply phrases.
I will not faux to know whether or not Harris can be a greater or worse selection for Democrats than another potential candidates. I do not know whether or not she might beat Trump, although I’ve my doubts.
What I do know is that if Harris turns into the celebration’s nominee, the push to anoint her a saint—within the press, on social media, amongst celebrities—goes to kick into overdrive rapidly, each due to her identification and out of desperation to keep away from Trump getting elected once more.
However as a lot as I need to see a feminine president sooner quite than later, and as a lot as I don’t need to see one other Trump presidency, I can not faux Harris would not have severe and worrying flaws. As a lot as she’s been a reasonably benign determine throughout her vice presidential days, there’s nothing to cease her worst tendencies from flaring up once more if she turns into president.
These tendencies embody a penchant for saying one factor throughout campaigns after which doing the alternative; of utilizing the state to crack down on issues—like truancy and drug use—that many would agree could possibly be higher solved by means of nonpunitive approaches; and of utilizing ethical panics round intercourse in self-serving methods (even whereas publicly ignoring sexual misconduct amongst California cops). They embody performing cavalierly towards the Structure, defending soiled prosecutors, and discovering new methods for the federal government to poke into individuals’s lives.
Keep in mind: Not solely did Harris assist put the mother and father of truant youngsters in jail, however she wrote in her 2019 e book The Truths We Maintain that “instituting a statewide plan on truancy was a part of the explanation I might run for the workplace within the first place.” That is who Kamala Harris is (although she claims the jailing was unintended).
Those that critique Harris for being one thing of a politically formidable cipher aren’t incorrect. However this picture is incomplete. There are some issues Harris has stood for constantly, and none of them are good.
I will go away you with one thing I wrote about Harris again in 2019:
Throughout her 28-year tenure as a county prosecutor, district lawyer (D.A.), and state lawyer common (A.G.),…within the public eye, she spoke of racial justice and liberal values, bolstering her cred as one of many Democratic Occasion’s rising stars. However behind closed doorways, she repeatedly fought for extra aggressive prosecution not simply of violent criminals however of people that dedicated misdemeanors and “high quality of life” crimes.
Each lawyer common fights for state energy and police prerogatives. It is a part of the job. However over and over, Harris went past the decision of responsibility, preventing for harsher sentences, bigger bail necessities, longer jail phrases, extra prosecution of petty crimes, better prison justice involvement in low-income and minority communities, much less due course of for individuals within the system, much less transparency, and fewer accountability for unhealthy cops.
Within the early days of her [2020] presidential marketing campaign, Harris has sought to outline herself as a liberal reformer who has stored up with the instances. However a assessment of her profession reveals a definite penchant for energy looking for and an intolerant disposition during which no offense is small or innocent sufficient to warrant lenience from the state. Now she needs to deliver that strategy to the very best workplace within the land.
Whoever Harris pretends to be this time, she can’t be—to make use of one widespread Harris phrase)—”unburdened by what has been.”
President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race amid concern from fellow Democrats that he stood no probability of beating Donald Trump this go-round. “I imagine it’s in the very best curiosity of my celebration and the nation for me to face down,” Biden posted to X, earlier than shortly after throwing his “full help and endorsement” behind Vice President Kamala Harris changing into the celebration’s new nominee.
“Democrats — it is time to come collectively and beat Trump,” Biden added. “Let’s do that.”
However can Harris “do that”?
It is arduous to conclude that Harris would fare worse than Biden, whose cognitive difficulties had been so obvious his personal celebration got here to view him as a severe electoral legal responsibility.
But if one recollects Harris’ personal ill-fated run on the Democratic nomination in 2020, and her time in politics earlier than then, the mathematics on this equation turns into considerably fuzzier—Harris was a really unhealthy candidate. And previous to that, she perpetuated some actually unhealthy insurance policies.
Kamala Harris the horrible campaigner and Kamala Harris the cop may be straightforward to overlook if you happen to’re solely contemplating what Harris has achieved recently. Her tenure as vp has been virtually totally unremarkable. Essentially the most distinguishing function has been a sequence of weird however benign phrase salads. And political reminiscence is brief.
So Harris is not the very best orator? Absolutely that is surmountable. In addition to, the shortage of distinguishing actions throughout her vice presidency might even be to her benefit. She’s principally a clean slate, at the very least if you happen to do not look again too far.
However what if you happen to do look again?
The very first thing you may see is Harris’ shambolic 2020 marketing campaign for president. She would not commit to coverage positions. She could not defend her previous actions. There have been ongoing tales about her poor therapy of her workers. She entered the race as a top-tier candidate, with glowing press and a few big-time backers, and dropped out two months earlier than the Iowa caucuses, polling at simply 3 p.c nationally. She wasn’t even polling as a top-tier candidate in her dwelling state of California.
It was unimaginable in that marketing campaign to determine what Harris stood for. This wasn’t only a case of nationwide campaigning jitters. One main thread in Harris’ profession—together with throughout her days as district lawyer of San Francisco and lawyer common of California—has been flip-flopping on points to go well with the viewers or the political second.
This will likely have labored as a short-term technique. However it left a long-term impression of her as rudderless and ruthless—a phony. It is going to be extremely straightforward for Republicans to painting her as somebody who stands for nothing, or as no matter it’s they assume you may hate most, like a consultant of “California socialism.” (By no means thoughts that the GOP’s personal candidate is not precisely a stalwart of consistency.)
The picture of Harris as slippery—all ambition, no ideology—could contribute to her unpopularity amongst American voters. It is virtually definitely extra of a legal responsibility than the once-common critique that Harris was an overzealous cop and drug warrior.
Harris’ tough-on-crime previous makes her unpopular amongst leftists and extra radical wings of the Democratic Occasion, in addition to amongst civil libertarians and prison justice reformers. There is not any doubt that this may come again to hang-out her once more ought to she grow to be the Democratic nominee.
However this previous could have been particularly hurtful in 2020, when the protests impressed by George Floyd’s dying had been nonetheless raging and prison justice reform momentum was nonetheless vibrant. (Keep in mind “defund the police”?) And it seemingly mattered extra in a Democratic main than it might in a common election, for the reason that sorts to search out fault with Harris’ prosecutorial document are unlikely to search out Trump and Republicans a extra welcome different.
If something, a few of the lip-service Harris paid to progressive justice beliefs—each in 2020 and in California—could also be utilized by Republicans to assist flip safety-minded independents in opposition to her.
Meaning Harris’ turnabouts on justice points—not her precise document—could wind up harming her most. It leaves her susceptible to assaults from each the left and the appropriate on this entrance—to allegations that she’s been each too aggressive and too lenient on crime, even when solely certainly one of these (the aggressiveness) has been borne out past simply phrases.
I will not faux to know whether or not Harris can be a greater or worse selection for Democrats than another potential candidates. I do not know whether or not she might beat Trump, although I’ve my doubts.
What I do know is that if Harris turns into the celebration’s nominee, the push to anoint her a saint—within the press, on social media, amongst celebrities—goes to kick into overdrive rapidly, each due to her identification and out of desperation to keep away from Trump getting elected once more.
However as a lot as I need to see a feminine president sooner quite than later, and as a lot as I don’t need to see one other Trump presidency, I can not faux Harris would not have severe and worrying flaws. As a lot as she’s been a reasonably benign determine throughout her vice presidential days, there’s nothing to cease her worst tendencies from flaring up once more if she turns into president.
These tendencies embody a penchant for saying one factor throughout campaigns after which doing the alternative; of utilizing the state to crack down on issues—like truancy and drug use—that many would agree could possibly be higher solved by means of nonpunitive approaches; and of utilizing ethical panics round intercourse in self-serving methods (even whereas publicly ignoring sexual misconduct amongst California cops). They embody performing cavalierly towards the Structure, defending soiled prosecutors, and discovering new methods for the federal government to poke into individuals’s lives.
Keep in mind: Not solely did Harris assist put the mother and father of truant youngsters in jail, however she wrote in her 2019 e book The Truths We Maintain that “instituting a statewide plan on truancy was a part of the explanation I might run for the workplace within the first place.” That is who Kamala Harris is (although she claims the jailing was unintended).
Those that critique Harris for being one thing of a politically formidable cipher aren’t incorrect. However this picture is incomplete. There are some issues Harris has stood for constantly, and none of them are good.
I will go away you with one thing I wrote about Harris again in 2019:
Throughout her 28-year tenure as a county prosecutor, district lawyer (D.A.), and state lawyer common (A.G.),…within the public eye, she spoke of racial justice and liberal values, bolstering her cred as one of many Democratic Occasion’s rising stars. However behind closed doorways, she repeatedly fought for extra aggressive prosecution not simply of violent criminals however of people that dedicated misdemeanors and “high quality of life” crimes.
Each lawyer common fights for state energy and police prerogatives. It is a part of the job. However over and over, Harris went past the decision of responsibility, preventing for harsher sentences, bigger bail necessities, longer jail phrases, extra prosecution of petty crimes, better prison justice involvement in low-income and minority communities, much less due course of for individuals within the system, much less transparency, and fewer accountability for unhealthy cops.
Within the early days of her [2020] presidential marketing campaign, Harris has sought to outline herself as a liberal reformer who has stored up with the instances. However a assessment of her profession reveals a definite penchant for energy looking for and an intolerant disposition during which no offense is small or innocent sufficient to warrant lenience from the state. Now she needs to deliver that strategy to the very best workplace within the land.
Whoever Harris pretends to be this time, she can’t be—to make use of one widespread Harris phrase)—”unburdened by what has been.”
