Kamala Harris, the former Vice President, has recently come forward in a critique of Joe Biden’s bid for re-election, casting it as an act of ‘recklessness.’ This sentiment is found in an excerpt from her new book ‘107 Days’ published by The Atlantic. She writes about the fateful decision that the Democratic party left to Biden despite questions about his suitability and fitness at 81, largely attributing considerable role to his ego and ambition in it.
Harris poses the question, ‘Was our decision driven by grace or recklessness?’ in retrospective contemplation. Concluding that their choice to let Biden and first lady Jill Biden make the decision was, in fact, reckless. In this context, it seems that Harris is also attempting to subtly portray her own qualifications and abilities through her criticism of a flawed decision-making process.
It’s intriguing that Harris opts to publicize her criticism in this manner, challenging Biden’s decision to run for a second term. A decision that ultimately led to his exit in July 2024, post a catastrophic debate performance. This unexpected turn of events resulted in notable consequences, with Harris having to lead the Democratic ticket and face defeat at the hands of Republican Donald Trump.
Harris weighs in during the book excerpt, stating, ‘The stakes were simply too high, this wasn’t a choice that should have been left to an individual’s ego, an individual’s ambition. This should’ve been more than a personal decision.’ Ironically, her critique of Biden leaves us wondering why such visionary insight into the judgement was missing when it mattered most, ignoring the potential risks brings into question her own foresightedness.
In a surprising twist, even with his dubious performance on the debate stage and questions looming about his mental capacity, Harris still rallies behind Biden’s abilities. Clear double standards seem to be at play: when it suits, Biden’s aptitude is applauded, but at other times it is ridiculed and used as a vantage point for self-promotion.
In her book, Harris depicts a ‘tired’ Biden in 2024 and at the time of his disastrous debate debacle, attributing it to his age. Her stated perception of ‘Gaping Joe’ comes across as a convenient excuse for his failures, belittling his flaws instead of addressing them in a straightforward manner. Also, the fact that she returns to his age as a reason to undermine his capability and competence quite exposed the internal hassles of the failed political campaign.
An interesting claim made by Harris is her assertion that she would have openly voiced her concerns if she believed Biden was incapacitated out of loyalty to the nation. However, such claims ring hollow in light of her apparent silence when the nation could have been spared from a disastrous campaign.
Harris also staunchly criticizes Biden’s inner circle for her negative media portrayal, suggestive of a power struggle within the administration. Painting herself as a victim, she blames Biden’s team for using her as a scapegoat to bolster Biden’s shaky public image. This provides a further glimpse into the disharmony within the Democratic party; even as the first female vice president, Harris claims her contributions were downplayed and criticized.
Despite claiming to be under scrutiny due to her position as the first female vice president, Harris alleges that Biden’s team was comfortable with unfair and incorrect news stories about her. Seemingly victimizing herself again, Harris attempts to portray an underdog battling the odds, while in reality, her popularity was questionable even within her own team.
Emphasizing her struggles, Harris writes about the difficulty she experienced when the presidential inner circle seemed to encourage negative narratives, such as disarray and flux within her vice presidential office. Thus, she alleges that Biden’s staff deliberately contributed to the discord around her, further indicating a lack of unity within the team.
Harris further accuses Biden’s staff of fearing that she might overshadow him. She discusses a speech she gave in Selma, Alabama, which went viral, and the negative reaction allegedly received from the West Wing. However, these claims lead us to question the validity of the account: did Harris genuinely upset the balance, or is she attempting to innovate a narrative that fits her victim image?
In her book, Harris suggests that undermining her essentially led to Biden’s own downfall. Yet, her shifting blame and refusal to accept her share of responsibility for the failed campaign reflects a lack of leadership and accountability. If she indeed stood up for Biden and his judgement, blaming and criticizing his team for the failure seems contradictory and self-serving.
Harris argues that her success would have served as a testament to Biden’s intelligence and reassured the public about the vice-presidential role. Surprisingly, according to her, Biden’s team did not comprehend this perspective. However, this bears considering whether Harris is the most credible source for assessing the impact of her success.
Harris’s upcoming book, whose title ‘107 Days’ references the length of her truncated presidential campaign, is set to be published on September 23. As is evident from the excerpt, it promises to shed light on the inner workings of her term as vice president, yet the way she represents these events seem to steeped in victimhood and blame shifting.
Considering the content of this excerpt, it’s clear how Harris attempts to evade personal responsibility for the Democrats’ electoral failure, conveniently pushing the blame to Biden and his team. Perhaps her tactic of self-preservation will hinder future attempts at unity within the Democratic party.
Reflecting on the revelations from Harris’s book excerpt, it is clear that the perceived unity and strength of the Democratic party were largely window dressing for public consumption. It’s worrisome for the Democrats that these fractures are being exposed now, further weakening their already struggling cause.
The post Harris Points a Finger at Biden in ‘107 Days’: An Act of Hypocrisy? appeared first on Real News Now.
About Author
