President Joe Biden hasn’t declared his candidacy for the 2024 election yet.
While Biden will probably end up running, there is a possibility that for the first time in decades, an incumbent president will not seek re-election.
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And even if Biden does seek reelection, he will be term-limited, and in his eighties.
So the Democratic Party is keeping an eye out for their next president. Could the next Democratic standard-bearer be Kamala Harris?
Harris’s Rocky Vice-Presidency
The vice presidency is a launching pad for the presidency itself. Nearly all vice presidents are eyeing the presidency. Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, George H. Bush, and Joe Biden all served as vice presidents before winning the presidency.
Walter Mondale and Al Gore were both nominated for the presidency after their vice presidencies had concluded, but lost in the general election. The point is this: Kamala Harris is naturally being eyed as a successor to Joe Biden; her succession is implied in her title.
But Harris’s vice presidency has not gone smoothly, causing some observers to question her ability to win election for, or serve as, president.
So, what has gone wrong exactly with Harris’s vice presidency?
Part of the problem is internal. Rumors persist that Harris’s staff has been “wilting in a dysfunctional and frustrated office, burned out.” The understanding is that Harris is an “inconsistent and at times degrading principal who burns through seasoned staff members who have succeeded in other demanding, high-profile positions.”
The question is why does Harris burn through so many staff members – and will her management style detract from her ability to govern, or impede her from winning the presidency? Fair questions that I can’t answer.
Harris has also struggled against the vice-presidential portfolio she was assigned. Harris was tasked with sorting out illegal migration and voting reform. To be fair, these were tall orders, likely requiring years to quell, that would trip up most politicians. But Harris is vying for the most important job in the world. She should be judged for her ability to sort through the most daunting problems on Earth.
Kamala Harris is not a talented politician
Winning the presidency requires some political talent – obviously. And Harris is not an especially talented politician.
Consider the 2020 DNC primary. Harris announced her candidacy on Good Morning America, which should give you an idea of how prominent she was entering the race.
Most candidates are announcing their candidacy from some building in some state somewhere. Harris’s candidacy didn’t even make it into the 2020 calendar year – her polling was that abysmal, and she withdrew from the race in December 2019, well before the conclusion of the primaries.
Several lower-tier candidates, like Julian Castro, Marianne Williamson, and John Delaney, all lasted longer than Harris.
So, what happened?
In short, Kamala Harris was unable to settle on a consistent or resonant message.
Namely, while the left was calling for criminal justice reforms, Harris centered her platform around the fact that she had been a tough prosecutor.
Basically, Harris marketed herself as one of the primary things the left was upset about in that moment.
The 2020 disaster left a bad taste, leading many to ask whether Harris has the ability to win a presidential race.
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Harrison Kass is the Senior Editor at 19FortyFive. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison lives in Oregon and listens to Dokken.
