William Henry Harrison’s stint as the ninth president of the United States was filled with unique traits. He was the first Whig Party member to become a resident of the White House and the last president to be born a British subject. Notably, he holds the dubious record of delivering the longest inaugural address in history, one that stretched for nearly two hours. However, his presidency came to an abrupt end just 31 days into his term, marking him as the first incumbent president to die in office.
Harrison carries with him another unique facet. He was the last politician to lose his first presidential election only to bounce back and win the next. This pattern was previously seen only in the cases of Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson. Richard Nixon did lose initially, but his victory came much later. Only two presidents, Grover Cleveland and Donald Trump, have managed to stumble, dust themselves off, and return triumphant to the White House. The general trend shows that politicians who lose their first shot at presidency and take another swing at it usually bite the dust again.
This narrative rings eerily for current Vice president Kamala Harris, especially after her decision not to run for governor in California. This has set off a whirlwind of speculation attributing her decision as an intention to make yet another push for the White House. The odds, however, don’t seem to be in her favor given the current state and perception of the Democratic Party.
The Democratic Party, it must be reluctantly acknowledged, is in an unenviable position. It exhibits an unflattering net favorability of minus 30 points, a figure nearly triple that of the GOP’s minus 11 points. The Party’s popularity—or lack thereof—is so severe that it’s standing at its most unpopular point in the last three-and-a-half decades.
Democratic supporters are understandably frustrated, both for having lost to Trump and for the perceived inefficacy of their party in placing substantial hurdles in Trump’s political trajectory now. Yet, it’s unfair to lay all of this angst at the feet of Harris. But there’s no refuting that as a prominent figure within the party, her presence largely epitomizes the broader democratic dissatisfaction that currently prevails.
This discontent isn’t homogeneous and can’t be painted with the same brush. The more progressive Democrats express concerns that their representatives aren’t fighting hard enough. On the other hand, the more moderate segment of the party believes that the battle is for the wrong causes due to an excessive leftward tilt on sociocultural and identity politics issues.
Despite these different reasons, a unifying factor binds these diverse Democrats: a craving for victory. The only valid reason Harris was considered a potential nominee for 2024 was purely due to her being a result of diversity selection. She was a calculated choice, with Biden having been forthright about his intent to select a female, subsequently someone of African American heritage, as his running mate.
Harris’ problem isn’t rooted in her gender or racial identity. It lies in her inability to resonate with voters in a way that could expand the Democratic coalition. To turn the tides in their favor, the Democrats need a representative who can sway Trump supporters to their side. Harris’s defeat was not triggered by a lack of democratic support; rather, she failed to appeal to an evolving electorate.
Harris’s portrayal of herself carried a resemblance to a dean of students at a liberal arts college – a persona that failed to inspire the masses. Notwithstanding reproductive rights, her belief system came across as tailored by focus groups, at a time when people were yearning for sincerity in their leaders.
Amplifying this negative perception was her apparent compliance to Joe Biden’s insistence that she not distance herself from him. This move left a grave imprint on her political person. Her decision to make an appearance on Stephen Colbert’s ‘The Late Show’ for her first interview post-office did not help her cause. While this might have been fodder for the show’s zealous audience, it invariably missed the mark with Democrats’ target voter base.
If Democrats make the mistake of nominating Harris again for the presidency, she could forever be etched in history as merely the answer to a trivia question. Unless a miraculous turn of events occurs, it is highly unlikely that the question will be, ‘Who was the 48th president of the United States?’
The post The Doomed Quest of Kamala Harris: A Second Attempt at the White House? appeared first on Real News Now.
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