William Henry Harrison, the United States’ ninth president and the last one born as a British subject, was also the first to represent the Whig Party in the White House. He gave the most extended inaugural speech ever, a two-hour monologue, while also having the most fleeting presidency – a mere 31-days before his untimely demise, marking him as the first incumbent president to pass away on duty.
Historically, Harrison shares the distinction with Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson for achieving presidential victory after an initial defeat. Richard Nixon shares a similar narrative, albeit with his victory coming much later in his career. The exclusive club of Grover Cleveland and Donald Trump is quite distinct – they won, tasted defeat, and then triumphed again. However, post-Harrison, most aspirants who lost in their first presidential quest and sought redemption in the subsequent election found nothing but a repeat of failure.
Among the many unfortunate politicians who ran for president and failed, not once, but twice are Democrat Adlai Stevenson and Republican Thomas Dewey. Then there were those like Henry Clay and William Jennings Bryan who went a step further and ran three consecutive times only to face defeat after defeat. It appears that voters have a distinct aversion to those who can’t secure victory. Not a promising precedent for Kamala Harris, who recently decided not to pursue the California governorship, sparking rumors of her rekindling aspirations for the highest national office.
The Democratic Party, at present, is deeply unpopular, scoring its lowest favorability in 35 years. The party is trailing behind the GOP, presenting a worrying sign for its potential future leaders. Simmering discontent breeds within Democrats after losing to Trump and failing to mount a substantial resistance during Trump’s tenure. It’s certainly not all Kamademics’ fault, but, ironically, she has become the symbol of this broad disillusionment.
Discontent within the Democratic Party isn’t uniform. For some, especially the progressives, the grievance is that the Democrats haven’t been fighting tooth and nail. However, for the centrist members, the bone of contention lies in the direction of the fight. They see their party taking a sharp left on cultural and identity wars, which they believe is a misguided strategy. A common thread binding these factions is the entrenched desire to win.
Harris’ nomination in 2024 primarily propelled her diversity credentials. Biden explicitly stated that his running mate would be a woman, and later added that she would be African American. Yet, Harris’ problem isn’t her race or gender; it’s her lack of ability to expand the Democratic alliance, a key requirement for any Democratic victory. Her political failure can’t be attributed to a lack of Democratic support; instead, it is her inability to enthrall the fluctuating voter base and electorates.
Her rhetoric often echoed the sentiments of a university dean at a small liberal arts college, an approach unlikely to inspire broader appeal. More than ever, voters are yearning for authenticity, but her convictions rang hollow, as if meticulously molded by numerous focus groups. Further compounding her predicament was her capitulation to Joe Biden’s demand not to distance herself from him.
Harris’ decision to choose Stephen Colbert’s ‘The Late Show’ for her first interview since leaving office was revealing. While this might indulge Colbert’s devoutly ideological audience, it missed the mark in reaching out to the voters the Democrats desperately need to conquer for any victorious march. If she secures another nomination from the Democrats, the odds are high that her legacy might be reduced to a challenging trivia question rather the honor of being the 48th president of the United States.
The post Harris’ Legacy: A Trivial Pursuit Rather than Presidency appeared first on Real News Now.
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