Staff Reports
Optimism among Democrats about Vice President Kamala Harris is evaporating faster than a snowflake in July. Once hailed as the future of the party, Harris now finds herself in the blazing hot seat as the party debates whether to send President Biden packing for a little R&R—permanently. Having clinched not a single primary vote before her anointment, and sporting approval ratings plummeting faster than an anvil in a cartoon, it’s safe to say things have taken a turn for the, shall we say, uncomfortable.
The party’s inner circle is starting to sweat bullets, and it shows. Jamal Simmons, a Democratic strategist and former Harris communications director, expressed that the current climate is as unpredictable as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. His conclusion? If someone isn’t nervous about Harris’s candidacy, they’re clearly living in a blissful bubble. With the composition of voters a complete toss-up, it’s looking more and more like the Harris campaign needs a miracle—or an entirely different strategy.
🚨Blue Wall danger: Worry grows among top Dems that Harris is stuck, even sliding a bit, after strong convention & debate
•Her media blitz, spending advantage & largely favorable coverage don't seem to be moving the needle much, if at all, these Dems say https://t.co/SkRtsv2xlt
— Mike Allen (@mikeallen) October 10, 2024
Anthony Coley, another Democratic strategist who used to work in the Biden-Harris administration, has laid bare the fear lurking in the hearts of party insiders. His observations indicate that after Biden backed Harris, some members of the party suddenly woke up from their sugar high and realized that this ‘underdog’ might not have the necessary gusto to pull through. With swing state polling numbers resembling a rock-bottom stock chart, the anxiety is palpable. Welcome, Democrats, to The Harris Show—a thrilling ride filled with unexpected twists (none of them good).
Things only took a turn for the worse earlier this week during an appearance on The View, where Harris clumsily admitted she wouldn’t change any of the policies that have defined the last four disastrous years. Harris, who fashioned herself as the champion of change, fumbled her carefully crafted narrative all in a matter of moments. After all, who wouldn’t want to campaign on a platform of skyrocketing costs, foreign conflicts, and a border crisis that makes the Wild West look organized? It’s hard to imagine what her strategy could possibly be, but to keep doing the exact same thing seems bold—if not downright reckless.
And if that wasn’t enough to raise eyebrows, wannabe comedy kingpin Stephen Colbert inadvertently put the spotlight on her inability to distinguish herself from Biden. When asked how she’d differ from Biden, Harris pointedly stated that she is “not Joe Biden.” Inspiring stuff, but it left many wondering if they might need to start cramming some new ideas into her campaign’s messaging. A Democratic strategist recently lamented that with only weeks left before the election, Harris is “still fine-tuning her message,” which is probably code for “we have no idea what we’re doing.”
Democrats are acutely aware that the clock is ticking, and as one consultant put it, the race is bound to come down to the wire. With uncertainty ruling the day, it’s hard to blame them for feeling a bit jittery. The only question that remains is whether they can pull it together in time to avoid an outright catastrophe—or if they’ll collectively hit that panic button and watch their party’s dreams fizzle away into the ether.
