Kamala Harris, the woman we were told was going to eventually become the first female president in history, who was foisted on a recalcitrant Joe Biden because of a likely deal he had made out of desperation with Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) during the Democratic primaries, has proven to be a royal dud.
She was supposed to be the safety valve on Joe Biden’s otherwise uncertain presidency.
Yet, she has turned out to be a burden and a liability for the forty-sixth president — and that’s saying a lot, considering how awful the Biden administration has been.
Struggling to maintain a meager 32 percent favorability rating back in the Summer, the lowest for any vice-presidential candidate in history, Harris has a 49 percent negative view among likely voters and a substantial “very negative view” among likely voters in a NBC News poll back in June.
Things have not gotten any better.
Vice President Kamala Harris is not only highly disliked by the voters, but she has the dishonorable distinction of being less liked by voters than former Vice President Cheney was at the height of the George W. Bush administration’s unpopularity.
From Darth Vader to a Woman Sitting at the Table Wearing a Blue Suit
The man who dubbed himself as Darth Vader, who promoted an international torture regime, and may have exaggerated about weapons of mass destruction being in Iraq was more popular than a woman who infamously described herself as, “I am Kamala Harris, my pronouns are she and her, I am a woman sitting at the table wearing a blue suit.”
Go figure.
Democratic Party politics are a funny thing to watch. Qualifications and competence have absolutely no place on the ticket. Just look at Joe Biden. The man was in government for decades and had the misfortune of being on the wrong side of almost every policy he was involved with.
Yet he said the right things to the right sorts of people and moved up the chain because of it.
For her part, Harris, as noted above, is a woman of color. At no point did the Democratic Party really care if Harris was popular with the voters. (Given how badly her presidential campaign imploded in 2020, it was clear voters didn’t like her.) The DNC was oblivious to her competency. It didn’t really matter to them. She was the right color and sex, and she repeated the proper talking points.
But put her in a position of power, and watch this incompetent individual fail to deliver.
Kamala Harris Drags Biden Down
Biden is learning this the hard way. Earlier this year, reports came out indicating that Biden was frustrated with his number two, because he had given her a policy portfolio to manage (to be fair, it was a poison pill portfolio designed to weaken her standing) and she had completely failed.
Because of her failures, Biden was forced to take charge of several issues from that portfolio—such as the Biden administration’s failed immigration policies—and attempt to right the political ship.
Of course, Biden is himself incompetent and did not fix anything. But it was a stark image to see the forty-sixth president desperately trying to look like he was managing the crisis at the southern border when it was supposed to be an issue that Harris—with her many years of political and legal experience—was handling. The media took notice. More importantly, the voters have taken notice, too.
The Rise of Gavin Newsom
Meanwhile, another California Democrat with a national (and growing) profile is in the wings. Biden has insisted that not only is he definitely running for a second term (he has officially announced he is doing so) but that he is keeping Harris as his running-mate.
At some point, though, pragmatism must kick in, and Biden’s advisers must see that his approval rating is cratering, and it does little to boost his chances against the Republicans if his number two’s approval ratings are in the toilet as well.
The Democrats were smart to place a Californian on the ballot. They were also smart to place someone considerably younger than Biden as his backup. Sadly for them, they chose poorly with Kamala Harris. She does not inspire confidence at all.
The Democrats, if they were smart, would move to quickly replace Kamala Harris with California’s Governor Gavin Newsom. While Newsom certainly gives off American Psycho vibes, he is charismatic, looks good on camera, is articulate (a big bonus for most modern Democratic politicians), and speaks with the tone of a True Believer.
One Newsom to Replace Them All
Be watching for Gavin Newsom to replace Joe Biden – even though he keeps making denial after denial he wants to head into the White House. While he’s not a minority, it’s not yet clear that Harris is even helpful in securing minority votes for Joe Biden. (Harris is loathed among African-American males, for example.)
So, if appealing to minority voters isn’t the number one goal for Biden’s number two, then displaying confidence in the octogenarian by having a viable backup president as well as a competent adviser would be key. Newsom fits that bill far better than Kamala Harris has.
Besides, I remain convinced that Biden, if re-elected, will not be the commander-in-chief for the entire four years of his potential second term. Democrats would want someone like Newsom to take over and to make America like California. (God help us all.)
About the Author
A 19FortyFive Senior Editor, Brandon J. Weichert is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, as well as at American Greatness and the Asia Times. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower (Republic Book Publishers), Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life (Encounter Books), and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy (July 23). Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
