William Henry Harrison, a notable figure in U.S history, was the ninth president of the United States and coincidentally, was the last head of state to be born under British rule. His presidential reign holds two ironic records – delivering the longest inaugural speech spanning close to two hours, and maintaining the shortest presidency due to his demise merely 31 days into his term.
Harrison also has the notable distinction of being the last politician to bounce back from a initial presidential loss and secure victory in the subsequent election. Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson had marched down the same path prior to him while Richard Nixon had a more unconventional road to victory after his initial electoral defeat.
However, the political arena does not show mercy to those who have tasted defeat in a presidential race. For instance, Grover Cleveland and Donald Trump are exceptional as they managed to shift the tide of failure, clinching electoral victories after initial defeat. In contrast, history is not as sympathetic to others.
The political candidacies of Adlai Stevenson and Thomas Dewey are a testament to this trend. Both experienced the anguish of defeat, not just once but twice, on their quest for the presidency. Similarly, Henry Clay and William Jennings Bryan were on the receiving end of relentless rejection, losing three consecutive electoral battles. Evidently, voters have a tendency to dismiss political underdogs.
This rather discouraging predictability in voters’ choices raises questions about Kamala Harris’ political trajectory. Her recent declaration to forego the pursuit of gubernatorial position in California has sparked theories about her renewed interest in the White House. Given the existing historical trends and public sentiment, her potential nomination might not be received positively by voters.
For context, the Democratic Party is currently grappling with an unfortunate level of unpopularity. It’s indeed disheartening that the party’s net favorability stands at negative 30, a dip that is nearly three times more than the Republican Party’s negative 11.
The party’s popularity has plunged to an all-time low, which hasn’t been seen in the last three and a half decades. Democrats are disenchanted with their party for the dual failures of losing to Trump and subsequently failing to mount a formidable opposition once Trump assumed office.
The brunt of this public sentiment is unfairly being borne by Kamala Harris. She has become a symbol of the Democratic party’s deep dissatisfaction. While the discontent itself is multi-faceted, ranging from progressives wanting a stronger fight to centrists voicing concern over misdirected efforts, there is a common sentiment uniting all factions – an overwhelming yearning for victory.
Harris’ political positioning in the 2024 race was due in large part to her representation as a diverse candidate. In fact, Biden made it abundantly clear that his running mate would be a woman and most likely, an African American.
However, this puts Harris in a tricky situation. It’s not her identity that poses a challenge. Rather, it’s her inability to widen the Democratic coalition’s appeal to voters that’s problematic. Given that the path to victory depends on swaying Trump’s supporters, Harris’ appeal or lack thereof becomes a major stumbling block.
The reason for her prior defeat was not due to a fall in Democratic voter turnout. Instead, she failed to resonate with a rapidly changing electorate. Her public speeches, instead of inspiring, came across like a university administrator addressing the student body at a liberal arts college.
Even when it came to matters of public policy, her standpoints seemed disingenuously designed by focus groups in a context where the electorate yearned for authenticity. Making matters worse, Harris complied with Biden’s request not to distance herself from him politically.
A clear testament to her flawed strategy was seen in her choice to appear on Stephen Colbert’s ‘The Late Show’. While Colbert’s ideologically-inclined audience may have appreciated her appearance, the demographic that the Democrats need to win over didn’t fall into this category.
Thus, if the Democrats decide to nominate Harris again, it may not end well for them. She runs the risk of becoming a mere footnote in history, an trivia question about failed political gambits. It certainly won’t be for the question, ‘Who was the 48th president of the United States?’
The post Harris’ 2024 Bid: A Repeat Disaster in the Making? appeared first on Real News Now.
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