William Henry Harrison, America’s ninth president, holds a unique place in history. He was the final U.S. president with roots as a British subject and the first to represent the Whig Party. His presidency, however, was characterized by irony. His inaugural address, which still holds the record for being the longest, was followed by the shortest tenure in the Oval Office, lasting a mere 31 days before his untimely death. The historical tale paints a bleak picture of his political career.
Harrison also holds another distinctive record, being the last political figure to taste defeat in his first presidential race only to claim victory in the subsequent one. Prior to him, only Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson had achieved this feat. Richard Nixon also tasted defeat but returned to victory far later in his career. Grover Cleveland and Donald Trump were the only ones to win, lose and then win again. The backdrop of political history isn’t encouraging for political rebounders.
Clearly, voters seem to disdain persistent losers. Following Harrison, the tradition seems to be that the electorate offers little grace to those who lose once and pursue the chair in the next cycle. This downturn was evident in the political journeys of Democrat Adlai Stevenson and Republican Thomas Dewey, both of whom ventured twice and tasted defeat on each occasion. The trend continues with Henry Clay and William Jennings Bryan who experienced loss three times consecutively.
This historical trend doesn’t spell out favorable odds for notable Democratic Party figure, Kamala Harris. The recent announcement that she won’t be running for governor in California has led to conjectures that she might be eyeing the White House. But the Democratic Party’s dwindling popularity may hinder any such ambitions.
With a net unfavorable rating triple the GOP’s, the Democratic Party is experiencing some of the worst levels of popularity in over three decades. The party’s own rank and file are disillusioned, not only by their shock defeat to Trump but also by their lack of resistance since Trump took the Oval Office. The blame, however, cannot be placed entirely on Harris, despite her being a symbol of the Democrats’ current discord.
The Democratic Party’s internal discontent is multifaceted. Radical members lament that their party isn’t fighting enough, while centrists think the party is waging war on the wrong fronts, with a perceived tilt toward culture wars and identity politics. A common element between the varying factions is the shared ambition to clinch victory.
Ironically, Harris’s consideration for nomination in 2024 rested largely on her fulfilling diversity demands. Biden made clear his preference for a female and eventually African American running mate. However, Harris’s current predicament shows that being a diversity pick is not enough. The challenge lies not in her gender or race but in her lack of universal appeal.
Winning over Trump supporters might be the key for Democrats, and Harris seems to be far from achieving this. Her loss wasn’t on the basis of poor Democratic turnout, it was a reflection of a changing electorate’s preferences and her inability to engage them effectively. Her rhetoric has often appeared more catered to a dean of a small liberal arts college rather than the broad national demographic.
Moreover, her speeches often seemed devoid of authenticity, seemingly formed by focus group feedback rather than personal conviction, just when voters are looking for authenticity. What’s worse, Harris sided with Joe Biden’s insistence that she not distance herself from him. This decision further stripped her of the chance to build an independent identity that could appeal to voters.
Her decision to go on Stephen Colbert’s ‘The Late Show’ for her first interview post-office exit was indicative of her skewed focus. The highly ideological show played right into Harris’s ideologically rigid image. However, to capture the White House, Democrats need to cater to a broader audience, beyond ideologically committed ones, a fact that Harris’s move blatantly overlooked.
The lack of political foresight is concerning, particularly if the Democrats choose to nominate her again. If they do, the chance that she might become more of a trivia question than a respected president is a very real possibility. And the question will certainly not be ‘Who was the 48th president of the United States?’
To sum it up, history and political dynamics both point to the same conclusion: Kamala Harris’s aspirations for the Oval Office could be fraught with difficulties. History has shown that losing once and running again often spells doom. Furthermore, the political climate within her own party is unstable, with fractions of progressive and centrist ideals pulling in different directions.
While Biden’s explicit preference for a female, African American vice president placed Harris in the limelight, it is her apparent lack of general appeal that overshadows these initial advantages. Being handpicked for diversity does not necessarily resonate with the electorate, particularly in the face of an evolving political landscape.
The disconnect between the Democrats’ ideological ecosystem and voter expectations is exemplified by Harris’s appearances on shows like ‘The Late Show’. It only serves to reinforce her image within a small ideological bubble, leaving her unable to engage with the wider voter base required for a victorious presidential run.
Harris’s alignment with Biden, without establishing her independent stance and political identity, further erodes her appeal to prospective voters. Harris, along with the Democratic party, needs to readjust their political strategy if they hope to regain their standing and win the electorate’s trust.
In conclusion, Kamala Harris’s pursuit of the presidency, if it indeed materializes, needs a fresh strategy that ingratiates her with a broader demographic. Otherwise, history might have its own cynical way of recording her political journey—not as the 48th president of the United States, but as another quest forgotten in the annals of U.S. presidential trivia.
The post Kamala Harris and the Ominous Red Flags for 2024 appeared first on Real News Now.
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