President Joe Biden launched his reelection bid for 2024 on Tuesday with a video that was similar to the one from his 2019 campaign released, where “MAGA extremists”, a.k.a. Trump supporters were prominently featured in what Biden called the “battle for our nation’s soul.”
Vice President Kamala Harris, who has been a constant headache for the Biden Administration since Day One, also played a prominent role in the video. Harris’s prominent role in their opening video for the 2024 campaign was deliberate because Joe Biden, who is frustrated with her, is reportedly trying to “repair”, or improve her image before what will be a difficult battle that Republicans are sure to emphasize Biden’s age and questions about his mental ability:
Top White House officials rushed to help Vice President Kamala Harris in an effort to boost her poll numbers, which are not impressive heading into 2024.
Why it matters: Harris has worse numbers than Biden (approval rates in the low to mid-forties versus the high 30s). Officials think that she could be a drag as Biden starts a reelection bid that will likely come down to a handful of tight states.
Backstory: The West Wing and Biden’s team were rife with distrust during Biden’s early years.
Biden initially assigned Harris to deal with issues that were unwinnable, such as immigration or a voting rights bill in limbo. This has disappointed many of Biden’s top aides. She has experienced frequent staff turnover and has rarely been trusted with high-profile tasks.
Harris’ supporters point out that she has experienced sexism, racism and claim the White House is not doing enough to help her. Detractors, however, claim that Harris’ low approval ratings are due to her own mistakes and some high-profile interview missteps.
Her critics are right. And one need only look at the cringe-worthy video clip below, which is from a speech that she gave at Howard University Tuesday on “abortion” rights to see why.
Harris spoke in a video that was shared on Twitter by the Republican National Committee, among others. She said, “I think it’s important to see where we are in history, at this moment, in relation to not only the past but also the future.”
Watch:
KAMALA HARRIS: “I think it’s very important…for us, at every moment in time and certainly this one, to see the moment in time in which we exist and are present.” pic.twitter.com/1myWsM4Nz9
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 26, 2023
You can find plenty more in the same vein:
FLASHBACK:
“When you think about it, there is great significance to the passage of time” pic.twitter.com/jUsnyNiSpB
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 26, 2023
It’s not only her infamous words salads that are causing some Democrats to start second-guessing Kamala. Harris is a failure in her role as Biden’s veep. The ongoing border crisis and the embarrassment she has caused the United States on the world stage are two examples.
Harris has also been described as a difficult person to work with, dating back to when she was California’s Attorney General. She is unable to keep good communicators on her staff, which is a crucial component of any successful political operation. The Axios article also stated that she hasn’t had an appointed communications director since Jamal Simmons departed in December. She is still trying to find a new person for a job with a high turnover in just over two years.
As I have said, Harris will always be her worst enemy. Biden’s aides have to work hard to cover up her two-year record of failure as Biden’s second in command.
For the record, Harris’ career started off with these issues. As you rise up the ladder, you begin to expect that you will be treated with preferential treatment and given adoring interviews by the media because of “who” you are and what you represent historically.
Then, when the public realizes that your entire image is smoke and mirrors, everything starts to crumble.
The average voter doesn’t care if Harris is the “first” in history. This is especially true if he keeps demonstrating how bad he really, really is at his job (which he does often), and that despite this, a dollar bill can’t tell if a politician’s sincerity.
Other Democrats, including the Biden campaign, seem to realize this as well. However, they are mentally preparing themselves for the Biden-Harris 2020 campaign.