William Henry Harrison, the ninth occupant of the Oval Office, was the last American head of state who started life as a British subject. Furthermore, he was the first representative of the Whig Party to claim victory in a presidential election. His inaugural address was the longest in history, which lasted almost two hours. However, his presidency did not enjoy such longevity as it was the shortest in the nation’s history. He fell ill and subsequently died after only 31 days in office, setting the record for the shortest term served by a sitting president.
Harrison holds another unique record among the presidents of the United States. He was the last president to bounce back and win the presidency after losing his first bid. Before him, only Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson achieved this feat. In contrast, Richard Nixon lost his first presidential election but eventually won the top job after a considerable gap of time. Grover Cleveland and Donald Trump are the only two presidents to have lost, then won, and then lost an election again. Since Harrison’s time, those who lost on their first try and pursued a second bid generally found defeat once more.
Kamala Harris, on the other hand, announced last week that she would not run for the governor’s seat in California. This led to speculations about her renewed ambitions for the presidency. But given the historical records and the current disfavor of the Democratic Party, Harris’s chances of success are questionable. The Democratic Party’s favorability is at its lowest in recent times, and its net favorability rating stands at a worrying negative 30 points.
Dismay and disappointment appear to be significant emotional states experienced by Democrats. The party’s defeat to Donald Trump caused much outrage within its ranks, and the inability to provide any substantial opposition to him is adding salt to the wound. While it’s unfair to lay all the blame on Harris, she now seems to embody the growing disillusionment within the Democratic Party.
The party’s dissatisfaction is widespread and diverse. For the progressive branch of Democrats, the argument is that its members have not been combative enough. However, for the more centrist members, the party’s priorities seem skewed – its orientation is perceived as far too left-leaning, putting excessive emphasis on cultural and identity politics.
Despite the disconnect between the wings, a deep-rooted longing to witness a Democratic victory unifies the various factions. Harris, unfortunately, doesn’t seem to inspire this hope within voters. She was a potential nominee for the 2024 elections simply because she provided the needed diversification in terms of race and gender, as explicitly stated by Joe Biden. However, her personal appeal seems insufficient in expanding the Democratic coalition.
Harris’s journey into politics is marred by her ineffectual ability to flip Trump voters, which is an essential requirement for a Democratic win. The reason for her failure was not a lack of Democratic supporters turning out to vote. Instead, it was her inability to strike a chord with the evolving voter base of America that led to her downfall. Harris’s rhetoric placed her more as a liberal arts college administrator than a promising political leader.
For the Democrats, authenticity is a valued trait among voters. However, Harris fell short in this regard. Besides her stance on reproductive rights, it appeared as if her political convictions were tailored more by focus groups rather than emanating from authentic beliefs and personal conviction. Aiding further to this image was Harris’s decision to not distance herself from Biden, despite the underwhelming public approval of his leadership.
Harris’s initial media presence post stepping down from office did little to pave a way back for her in the voters’ hearts. She appeared on Stephen Colbert’s ‘The Late Show’, which may have been a good strategy if she was aiming to reach Colbert’s already ideologically committed fan base. However, that is not the audience that Democrats need to win over to secure a possible victory.
The Democrats need to expand their voter base beyond the liberals and the left-leaning viewers of Colbert. Unfortunately, Harris has failed to make any noteworthy progress in gaining the favor of this wider demographic. This leaves a big question mark over her prospects of a future nomination.
If Democrats decide to nominate her again, there is a high risk that she might be remembered as a trivia question, not as the 48th president of the United States. This would not only be a personal setback for Kamala Harris but also a significant blow to the Democratic Party’s aspirations.
Given such a potential backdrop, Harris’s chances of making it to the Oval Office are dubious at best. Then again, the political landscape is often unpredictable, and unforeseen developments could shift the dynamics, although the chances of such a significant shift seem slim at this point.
The post Kamala Harris Struggles to Inspire Hope, Predicts Uncertain Presidency appeared first on Real News Now.
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