The Political Landscape: Kamala Harris’s Election Loss

This week, Kamala Harris faced a significant setback with her election loss, but the blame doesn’t solely rest on her shoulders. While her recent actions merit scrutiny, the real origins of her defeat can be traced back to a challenging political environment and decisions made long before she became the unofficial nominee in July.

Throughout her campaign, Harris maintained a disciplined approach, striving to address the economic concerns that weigh heavily on the minds of American voters. Despite her best efforts, she grappled with a political climate that has proven to be tumultuous for Democrats and incumbent parties globally. However, the question remains: where did this difficult political landscape originate?

The answer lies primarily with two key figures: President Biden and Kamala Harris herself. President Biden’s governing record presented challenges that Harris found hard to defend or distance herself from, while her own contentious positions from the 2019 campaign provided ample material for Donald Trump’s attack ads. It’s important to note that Biden’s decision to include Harris on the ticket was made with full awareness of the baggage she carried from her earlier political career.

In his campaign messaging, President Biden emphasized that the very essence of democracy was at stake in this election. However, for such a critical narrative to resonate, his actions needed to align seamlessly with his rhetoric. Instead, he often prioritized his own ambitions and image over a unified Democratic strategy.

Interestingly, Biden’s electoral instincts were not always off the mark. During the 2020 primary season, he appeared to grasp the electoral dangers posed by the extreme left’s demands that characterized that Democratic cycle. Unlike Harris, he refrained from making radical promises such as banning fracking or eliminating private health insurance. He even avoided completing the A.C.L.U. questionnaire that had led Harris to endorse federally funded gender-transition surgeries for incarcerated individuals and detained immigrants.

However, after securing the nomination, Biden made a pivotal misstep that would ultimately jeopardize the Democrats’ chances in the 2024 election: he chose Harris as his running mate. Ironically, Harris’s perceived weaknesses as a potential presidential candidate became a shield for Biden. This dynamic helped him deflect pressure to step aside, presenting a straightforward rationale for his campaign: Harris had struggled in her 2019 run and consistently polled lower than him; thus, if he didn’t seek re-election, the likelihood of her becoming the nominee was high, making it imperative for him to run again.