Harris Stumbling Her Way Through the Political Landscape
William Henry Harrison, serving as the United States ninth President, has the historical achievement of being the final British-born individual to govern. A representative of the Whig Party, he is distinguished for not only his brief occupancy in the White House, which ended just over a month after his inauguration due to his death in office, but also due to his lengthy inaugural speech that stretched close to two hours. Harrison’s presidential journey is intriguing as he initially fell short in his bid to clinch the presidency, only to emerge victorious in his subsequent attempt. This pattern was previously trodden only by Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson, and more recently by Richard Nixon far removed from his initial loss, and not forgetting the flip-flop victories of Grover Cleveland and Donald Trump.
Steps into Harrison’s shoes have been scarce within the political sphere, with aspiring commanders in chief losing their first and second runs for the presidency. Falling within this bracket are the likes of Democrat Adlai Stevenson and Republican Thomas Dewey, who faced the sting of defeat twice. Henry Clay and William Jennings Bryan, on the other hand, were thrice unlucky. The expressed sentiment of voters appears to lack favor for those who have previously tasted defeat.
Into this complex political landscape steps Kamala Harris, who has recently sparked speculation about another presidential run by declining to pursue a gubernatorial track in California. The challenge she faces, however, is not just about overcoming voter bias against previous losers. Rather, the bigger issue is that she is seen as a symbol of internal struggles within the highly unpopular Democratic Party, currently displaying one of its steepest net favorability deficits in nearly four decades.
A marked 30 points deficit in favorability against the Democrats suggests significant discontent within the party believed to be created by the double blow of a lost match against Trump and a perceived lack of effective challenges posed against him post his victory. This simmering anger against the party is evident across different factions, but the points of contention vary.
For progressively aligned individuals, the issue is the Democratic Party’s perceived lack of assertiveness. Centrists, however, have quite a different view. As per them, the party has too much zest but for all the wrong causes, as it has swung too far left, dallying with concepts like cultural warfare and identity politics.
Frustration exists on both strands of this ideological tug-of-war. There’s a shared yearning for victory that presently eludes the party. As a figure whose nomination was more for her status as a diversity pick rather than any profound political philosophy or charisma, Harris finds herself in the unenviable position of offering little to the party.
Harris’s racial and gender identity aren’t her primary issues, rather it’s her inability to resonate with the electorate and expand the Democratic Party’s tent. For any successful Democratic play, appealing to Trump voters is crucial.
Her unsuccessful bid wasn’t primarily due to a lag in Democratic turnout, but her inability to influence a changing demographic. The impression she created resembled more the head of a small liberal arts college than a dynamic political leader. Her beliefs come across as the product of focus groups rather than heartfelt conviction.
Harris’s pitfall was in her unanimity to toe Biden’s line, refusing to distinguish herself apart. Her choice of Stephen Colbert’s show for her first interview post-resignation is indicative of this.
Her appearance on ‘The Late Show’ might have appealed to Colbert’s ideologically loyal audience but missed the mark with the broader electorate required for a Democratic win.
The potential repetition of Harris as the party’s nominee might be a grave mistake. History might remember her, but chances are it would be in the form of an obscure trivia fact rather than a celebrated presidency.
The takeaway from all of this is as much about Harris’s apparent lack of electoral appeal as it is about the dismal state of the Democratic Party. By moving further left and losing touch with the voters’ pulse, Democrats have placed themselves in a difficult position.
Joe Biden’s insistence that Harris not distance herself from him merely underscores the issue. The Democratic Party seems to have become lost and disconnected from the realities of American politics. It’s a failure which is largely self-inflicted.
The question remains whether Democrats can turn around their sinking ship, or if we’ll see Harris become just another trivia question and not the 48th President of the United States. Only time will tell, but the prognosis at this moment in time doesn’t look promising.