William Henry Harrison, hailing from the era of British subjects, led as the ninth U.S. President and uniquely, represented the Whig Party for the first time in the White House. His inaugural discourse pushed the boundaries of length, clocking nearly two hours, while ironically, his presidency holds the record as the shortest ever, lasting a mere 31 days due to his demise in office. Counting Harrison, only three politicians managed to lose their initial election before claiming the presidency in their next attempt. Prominent figures such as Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, and much later, Richard Nixon followed this path, although Nixon’s victory came a long way down the line.
In contrast to Harrison’s come-back, subsequent candidates who have lost in their first presidential attempts and then dared to run again in the following election have failed miserably. Adlai Stevenson, the Democrat, and Thomas Dewey, a Republican, share the dubious honor of having campaigned twice and being defeated both times. Similarly, Henry Clay and William Jennings Bryan found no luck either, having each put their hats in the ring thrice consecutively and lost each time. Simply put, voters are seemingly resistant to supporting electoral failures.
The recent decision from Kamala Harris to resist running for governorship in California has led to conjectures about her aspiration to contest once more for the presidency. Unfortunately, the timing seems unfavorable, given the pitiable favorability of the Democratic Party. Registering a net favorability decline of 30 points, the Democratic Party’s unpopularity surpasses that of the GOP, which stands at a deficit of 11 points.
The unpopularity of the Democratic Party extends to historic depths not seen in over three decades. Intriguingly, much of this antagonism stems from disgruntled Democrats themselves — disheartened for their defeat against Trump, and further irate at the seeming inability of their party to obstruct Trump’s operations in office. While it would be inaccurate to lay the blame solely at Harris’ feet, it is undeniable that she serves as an emblem of overall discontent within the Democratic Party.
The frustrations of the Democratic Party are diverse and reach every wing. The progressive faction is irked by the perception that the Democrats are not fighting the battles they should, while the centrist counterparts feel the party is embroiled in the wrong fights, having skewed excessively left into issues of identity politics and cultural war. Despite this multifaceted discontent, a single shared sentiment unites both factions: an intense yearning to secure victory.
Ironically, Harris’ potential candidacy in 2024 was largely based on her serving as a tool for the diversity quota, a strategy explicitly stated by Joe Biden who committed to selecting a woman, specifically an African American, as his running mate. The challenge that Harris faces, however, is not rooted in her race or gender, but primarily in her inability to attract voters and grow the Democratic coalition.
For the Democrats to achieve victory, they need a member who can succeed in converting Trump’s voters. Harris’ downfall was not due to poor democratic turnout – the issue was her unflagging lack of appeal to an evolving electorate. Her speeches bore more resemblance to a school principal’s address at some obscure liberal arts college, rather than the fiery addresses needed to galvanize a diverse voter base.
Further denting her reputation was her indecisiveness and adherence to Joe Biden’s demand that she refrains from distinguishing herself from him. This inability to cultivate an independent identity certainly did her no favors. Her decision to grant her first interview since vacating office to Stephen Colbert’s ‘The Late Show’ was an unmistakable cautionary tale.
While Harris’ appearance may have appealed to Colbert’s staunchly ideologically audience, it did little to attract the diverse voter basis the Democrats desperately need for a win. Consequently, should the Democrats nominate Harris once more, she’s likely to be remembered in history as a mere trivia question – certainly not as the 48th President of the United States.
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