The late comedian Rodney Dangerfield used a signature catchphrase that might be taken off the shelf and revived by Kamala Harris: “I don’t get no respect.” The vice president finds herself in the unenviable position of being a red flag in the high-stakes game of presidential ticket Tug of War. No longer the prized asset checking the progressive boxes, Harris is taking heat from Hollywood, her own party, and one non-Native American. It’s getting dicey in the Swamp for Democrats, and there is no room for mistakes.
Hollywood: No Hooray for Harris
At first, they celebrated Joe Biden for selecting a woman of color as his running mate. Harris was on every magazine cover, and celebrities gave endorsements and campaign ads disguised as public service announcements. Two years later, secret Zoom calls between the political and entertainment elite tell a different story. Former California Senator Barbara Boxer was on the receiving end of the call from Oscar-winning actress Helen Hunt, actor Ron Livingston, and Beverly Hills, 90210 star Gabrielle Carteris. The complaining elicited a typical fence-sitting response from the cagey Boxer: “If that’s how you feel, you should let Biden know.”
Democratic fundraiser John Morgan told The New York Times in February that Harris is seen as a weak vice president and could be Biden’s undoing: “I can’t think of one thing she’s done except stay out of the way and stand beside him at certain ceremonies.”
Citing polling numbers hovering in the fortieth percentile for likeability, the Democratic friendlies in Tinseltown have decided Harris might be the albatross around the president’s neck, putting at risk his chances of winning four more years in power. At 81 years old, Joe Biden needs as much support as possible to get through a rigorous campaign. His age also has the electorate focusing on the ordinarily white-noise VP as the next in line. A running mate takes a lot of the pressure off – unless that number two is the biggest disappointment in recent memory.
Ms. Harris is not doing herself any favors, either: An ongoing spat with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) makes the party faithful cringe. The catfight began during a public radio interview in Boston. When the host asked Warren about the president’s re-election bid and whether Biden should keep Harris as his running mate, she replied, “I really want to defer to what makes Biden comfortable on his team.”
Harris was miffed and called the response “insulting.” Warren backtracked, explaining it was simply a fumble on the goal line, but the two have not spoken despite repeated attempts by the senator. Apparently, Harris can hold a grudge.
As Political Strategies Go …
Kamala Harris (Photo by Mireya Acierto/Getty Images)
Is Kamala even remotely qualified to step into Biden’s shiny wingtips? For strategists, it matters not. Removing Harris from the ticket would need to be done with surgical precision lest the party suffer more embarrassment and finds itself in another internal war. If Biden does run, efforts to rally the troops for Harris are paramount.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker advised: “People who are denigrating her are aggrandizing themselves.” It should be noted that Pritzker has considered a run for the White House in 2024. “If she shines too much, then she’s overshadowing the president. If she doesn’t overshadow or shine too much, she can’t rise to the occasion,” Rev. Al Sharpton vented to one cable news network.
And friends from the famed EMILY’s List continue their support. “What we have in Vice President Harris is a competent, capable, intelligent, authentic leader of color,” said Laphonza Butler, president of the powerhouse group.
If all Harris does on the campaign trail is gin up support from women, including soccer moms in suburbia, and fire up the black vote, then really that is all Biden needs from her. After that, it’s up to the West Wing and a lukewarm Harris media focus to see that she “gets some respect.”
