William Henry Harrison held the notable position as the ninth American president, recognized as the final leader produced under British rule and the inaugural representative of the Whig Party to gain authority in the Oval Office. His contributions include an inaugural address of unparalleled length, clocking just under two hours, and his presidency is infamously known for its brevity as he succumbed to illness merely a month into his term. Harrison remains the last public figure that tasted defeat in his initial Presidential run, only to claim victory in the subsequent one, a feat once achieved by Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson. This sent an ominous precedent for Kamala Harris considering her own aspirations for the next presidential elections.
Presidential dynamics have witnessed longer odds, as Richard Nixon demonstrated with his substantial gap between presidential runs, eventually emerging victorious. Even rarer are instances like Grover Cleveland and Donald Trump who experienced victory, defeat and subsequently celebrated a comeback triumph. On the contrary, those who have attempted a fresh bid immediately after their initial failure have generally met with repeated defeat.
The precedent does not provide an optimistic outlook for the political ambitions of Kamala Harris, especially following her recent decision to backtrack from the California gubernatorial race. This move has fuelled conjecture that she might be eyeing the Presidential race once again. However, the current public sentiment towards her party does not aid her cause.
The situation for the Democratic Party is far from rosy, with their popularity sinking to a notably low ebb. The party’s net favorability approximating negative thirty points ironically trumps the GOP’s popularity deficit of negative eleven points. Public disdain for the Democratic Party has not been observed at such heights in more than three decades.
Much of this antipathy can be attributed to the high levels of internal discord within Democratic ranks, following their defeat against Donald Trump and their rather ineffective countermeasures following his ascension to office. Although not solely responsible, Harris embodies the rift that exists within the Democratic Party’s ranks.
The discontent with the party is not universal, and diverges based on the perspectives of different supporters. Progressive Democrats blame the party for not fighting zealously enough, while the centrist factions feel that the issues they’re battling for have deviated excessively towards extreme leftist cultural and identity ideologies.
Both factions, with their diverging viewpoints and disappointments, are unified in their profound desire for victory. Harris found herself in the potential nominee position in 2024 based more on tick-box diversity requirements than merit. The fundamental issue is not her race or gender; it’s her inability to inspire and expand the Democratic electorate.
Winning requires Democrats to persuade those who formerly voted for Trump. Harris did not fall to low Democratic turnout, in truth, she was ineffective in offering herself as an appealing candidate to an evolving electorate. Her discourse often likened to the administration of a insignificant liberal arts college.
Except for her stand on reproductive rights, her principles seem to be designed with more focus on satisfying diverse focus groups than showing genuine convictions. This lack of authenticity did not resonate with voters. In addition, Harris’ reluctance to delineate herself from Biden, at his insistence, further hindered her perception.
Her decision to give her first interview post-exit on Stephen Colbert’s ‘The Late Show’ reveals keen insight. It may satisfy the ideologically faithful audience of Colbert. However, it does not align with the broader demographic Democrats must reach to clinch victory.
For that reason, if Democrats were to nominate Harris once more, she is likely to secure a place in history triviality rather than a legacy of leadership. It’s doubtful that her name would be attached to the 48th presidency of the United States.
The post Ominous Precedent for Harris’ Presidential Ambitions appeared first on Real News Now.
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