Harris’ Second Presidential Run: Ill-advised or Inevitable Demise?

William Henry Harrison, our nation’s ninth president, holds some unique distinctions. He was the final president born under British rule and was the inaugural Whig Party candidate to clinch victory. His presidency, while abruptly cut short by his untimely demise, is still an interesting facet in American political history. He delivered a marathon inaugural address, touted as the lengthiest in history, only to leave office after just a month, becoming the first president to die during his term.

A distinguishing feature of Harrison’s political journey was his triumph in a presidential election following a previous loss. This political maneuver was successful only for a select few before him, like Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson. The metaphorical baton was then passed onto Richard Nixon far in the future. Only Grover Cleveland and Donald Trump, however, managed to pull off a win, suffer a defeat, then clinch another win.

Particular eminence is held by Harrison as the finale of those who lost their first bid for the presidency but secured victory in their immediate next attempt. Subsequent candidates who also tasted defeat in their first presidential run and took a second shot experienced a repeat failure. A striking example includes Democrats like Adlai Stevenson and fierce Republicans like Thomas Dewey, both of whom took a shot at presidency twice and failed to secure a win on both occasions.

This distinctive pattern forms a harsh backdrop for Kamala Harris as she recently declared she wouldn’t be running for the Californian governorship. Her declaration fuels conjecture that she is aiming for a second shot at the Oval Office. However, given the historical pattern, Harris’ prospect appears largely discouraged.

Complicating her ambition is the declining popularity of the Democratic Party. The present negative favorability, standing at minus 30 points, of the Democratic Party almost tripled that of GOP’s (minus 11 points). This level of unpopularity hasn’t been seen in the last 35 years. To say that the Democratic Party is in turmoil would be an understatement.

Much of the Democratic Party’s resentment stems from losing to Trump, and failing to effectively counter him during his term. While it wouldn’t be fair to put all the blame on Harris’ shoulders, it’s undeniable that she embodies the unrest within the party.

This discord isn’t uniform across the party. The progressives are upset because they feel the Democrats didn’t put up enough of a fight. Meanwhile, the more moderate side views the party’s focus as misguided, believing their party has drifted too far left into culture war and identity politics.

Despite their differences, one unanimous sentiment is an intense desire to win elections. Harris was seen as a potential 2024 nominee due to her syncing with Biden’s promise of diversity. However, the issue doesn’t lie in her being a woman or of African American descent; it rather lies in her inability to expand the Democratic voter base.

For a Democratic victory, an individual who can convert Trump voters is required, and unfortunately, Harris doesn’t satisfy this requirement. She didn’t fail because of a lackluster Democratic voter turnout; she failed because she was unable to connect with an evolving voter demographic.

Harris’ rhetoric style was more like a college dean than a political leader. There was a lack of authenticity in her convictions that seemed to be driven by focus groups, save for reproductive rights. Adding to her troubles, she succumbed to Biden’s directive not to distance herself from him.

Harris’ decision to choose ‘The Late Show’ with Stephen Colbert for her first interview post-resignation demonstrated an ill-considered outreach strategy. While such a platform may appeal to Colbert’s ideologically-inclined audience, it’s a demographic the Democrats can already count on and doesn’t help broaden their voter base.

Hence, if the Democrats are to consider Harris for nomination again, they will likely be committing political self-harm by ignoring history. More than likely, Harris might end up under appreciated and merely an answer in a trivia game, but definitely not as the 48th president of the United States.