Born as a British subject, the ninth president of the United States, William Henry Harrison, was the final commander in chief with such a lineage and rose to prominence as the inaugural Whig Party member to reach the White House. His presidency took record-breaking extremes to both ends of the spectrum. He set a record for the longest inaugural speech, speaking for nearly two hours, and set another one for having the briefest occupancy in the Oval Office, succumbing to his end only 31 days into his term.
Interestingly, Harrison is the final statesman to have suffered defeat in his debut presidential race and to have been victorious in the subsequent one. This occurrence was not a novelty, though it had only ever happened twice before in the history of American politics with Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson. The only other figure to come close to this was Richard Nixon, who suffered a loss but found victory further down the timeline.
The political landscape has shifted since Harrison’s time, as re-running presidential candidates who have previously lost have consistently faced defeat again. For instance, Democrat Adlai Stevenson and Republican Thomas Dewey both have the unfortunate record of running and losing in two successive races. Notably, Henry Clay and William Jennings Bryan weathered the humiliation of losing three consecutive times.
From this perspective, the future doesn’t seem quite promising for Kamala Harris, expressing her decision not to vie for the governor’s seat in California last week. This has triggered conjectures about her possibly taking another shot at the presidency. However, considering the tumultuous political climate within her own party, the chances seem bleak.
The Democratic Party currently finds itself in a precarious position, waning in popularity at an alarming rate. Accumulating a net unfavorability of a hefty 30 points, tripling the GOP’s -11 points, the party’s situation could scarcely be worse. This record levels of unpopularity for the party surpasses any seen in the last three and a half decades.
The cause of this can be chiefly attributed to the frustrations brewing within its own members. Democrats harbor resentment towards their party following their defeat at the hands of Donald Trump and their subsequent lackluster obstacles to the former president. Harris unfortunately finds herself at the intersection of these internal discords.
The discontent with Democratic leadership doesn’t stem from a single ideological stance. People from the progressive sect are disgruntled with the lack of assertive resistance, while those from the party’s centrist division feel alienated due to the extreme leftward tilt on identity politics and cultural battles.
One common element tying these two divided factions together is a deep-seated thirst for victory, one victory that seems elusive with Kamala Harris at the forefront. The only identifiable reason for positioning her as the potential 2024 nominee has been diversity. However, diversity as tokenism impairs rather than strengthens a party’s appeal.
During Joe Biden’s campaign, it was clear that his pick for Vice President would be a woman and potentially a woman of color. This culminated in the selection of Harris as his running mate. However, the primary issue with Harris hasn’t been her gender or ethnic background, but her lack of appeal to voters that fails to broaden the Democratic coalition.
To secure a victory, Democrats need a candidate who’s capable of wooing Trump voters. Harris, however, proved unable to inspire affirmative sentiment in a transitioning voter demographic. Her rhetoric often bore the uninspiring quality one would associate with a dean of a small liberal arts college – a far cry from the impassioned authenticity yearned for by the masses.
Adding to the multitude of her failings, Harris failed to distance herself from Joe Biden, despite his faltering approval ratings. Choosing to appear on Stephen Colbert’s ‘The Late Show’ for her first interview post-office, she indirectly reinforced her alignment with an administration touted by some as a disappointment, catering to a niche audience that lacks the broad appeal necessary for a Democratic win.
All in all, the likelihood of a successful future candidacy for Harris under the Democratic banner appears slim. If she does make the decision to run for president again, her odds are heavily stacked against her. History might remember her merely as the answer to a quiz question, but sadly not as the 48th president of the United States.
In light of the current political climate, Democrats need to carefully evaluate their choice of candidate for the upcoming elections. Precedence warns against a repeat nomination after a lost election, and the case seems especially challenging for Harris, facing divisive internal politics and an unfavorable public sentiment. It’s time for the Democrats to choose wisely, reflecting the demands of their broad electorate in their nomination choice.
The post Harris’ 2024 Run: A Path to Laughter, Not the White House appeared first on Real News Now.
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