In the annals of America, William Henry Harrison was recorded as the last U.S. President to have been born a British subject. He was also the first representative of the Whig Party to seize the Oval Office. The irony lies in the fact that he is best remembered for an inaugural address that bored for nearly two hours, the longest-ever by any president, only to hold the presidential office for the shortest term – a mere 31 days before his demise.
Harrison can be seen as the final politician to have lost his initial run for the presidency but emerged victorious in the subsequent election, a feat accomplished earlier by Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson. Any target of inspiration for Richard Nixon who won the presidency following a defeat, much later though. Talking about unusual winning patterns, just two presidents, Grover Cleveland and Donald Trump, have a record of winning, losing, and subsequently reclaiming the presidency.
Less flattering for career politicians are the instances of Adlai Stevenson (Democrat) and Thomas Dewey (Republican) who, despite two attempts each, couldn’t win the presidency. More disappointing perhaps are the cases of Henry Clay and William Jennings Bryan, both unable to clinch victory even after throwing their hats in the ring three times consecutively. It appears electorate’s sentiment leans in disfavor of those viewed as losers.
This trend does not paint a positive picture for Kamala Harris. Last week, her decision to not run for the California gubernitorial seat fueled suspicions of a second shot at the presidency. The odds are stacked against her, especially considering her association with a Democratic Party that has spiraled into unprecedented levels of unpopularity, showing a net favorability deficit of 30 points, almost thrice as low as the GOP’s 11 points.
The disenchantment amongst Democrats towards their own party is discernible. The party’s failure to offer significant resistance to Trump both in defeat and during his presidential tenure has only intensified this sentiment. Nevertheless, the entire blame can hardly be shifted onto Kamala Harris. Instead, she becomes the embodiment of the pervasive discontent within the party.
It’s crucial to understand that the internal divisions in the Democratic Party are not entirely homogeneous. For liberals, the bone of contention rests on the perceived lack of aggressive resistance against the opposition. The moderates, meanwhile, are increasingly concerned about misplaced battles — the tilt towards excessive leftism, particularly in fields involving culture war and identity politics.
Bridging this rift in the party, however, is their shared fervor for victories. The primary reason Harris had been positioned for a presidential nomination in 2024 was her diversity appeal — Biden had explicitly stated his intent to select a running mate who was a woman and, later, specifically of African American descent.
The issue for Harris does not revolve around her race or gender but rather her inability to expand the party’s electoral base. It becomes clear that to turn the tide in the Democrats’ favor, they need a candidate capable of attracting Trump supporters. Unfortunately for Harris, her political ambitions were thwarted not due to weak Democratic support but rather an unimpressive appeal to the evolving electorate.
Harris’ public discourse paints a picture of a small liberal arts college’s dean. Excluding reproductive rights, it felt as though her beliefs were modeled on focus groups’ feedback, an approach that failed in face of voters seeking authenticity. Additionally, Harris’ decision to not separate herself from Biden’s policies may have even played against her.
The choice of ‘The Late Show’ hosted by Stephen Colbert for her first interview post-office exit was rather revealing. While this might be appealing to Colbert’s ideologically devoted audience, the needed voters for Democratic victory lies far beyond that narrow scope. Democrats need to rethink their game plan if they must make any significant strides in the political arena.
The unfortunate reality predicts that if Harris is again selected as the Democratic nominee, her legacy might be reduced to a quizzical footnote in history. Rather ironically, the question won’t be, ‘Who was the 48th president of the United States?’
The post Kamala Harris: Doomed to Become a Quizzical Footnote in History? appeared first on Real News Now.
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