Opinions

Barack Obama’s intuition about Kamala not being a winner is on point


With endorsements for Kamala Harris pouring in from all corners of the Democratic Party, one notable absence is former President Barack Obama.

Rumors from Bidenworld suggest he’s convinced Kamala can’t win and is furious that Joe prematurely declared her as his successor; Obama had wanted multiple candidates to compete, with the winner decided at the convention.

However, the party, likely worn out after the speculation over Biden’s potential withdrawal, rushed to embrace Harris to put an end to the uncertainty.

Democrats view Harris as a (comparatively) new face; although her approval ratings are low like Biden’s, they are potentially more flexible.

The same media machine (including most of the media) that helped conceal Biden’s decline can now shift to scrutinizing her weaknesses.

They only need to make it through the next four months until Election Day, and they’ve already initiated a social-media blitz.

However, Kamala’s flaws are abundant: She has struggled while discussing policy almost as frequently as Joe.

She lacks substantial experience in governance and has backed progressive causes, such as The Green New Deal and defunding the police, which moderate Americans oppose.

Not to mention the debacle of her role as “border czar” – and her media supporters have already struggled to sweep that under the rug.


Vice President Kamala Harris delivering a keynote speech at the American Federation of Teachers' 88th National Convention in Houston, Texas on July 25, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris at an event in Houston, Texas on July 25. Getty Images

It’s also unclear how much the public trusts the media after the revelations about Biden.

In addition, Harris’ former staff members (of whom there have been many) frequently complain that she neglects her preparation and shifts blame to others when exposed.

This does not bode well for live interviews (potentially a repeat of her incident with Lester Holt?) nor for debates with Donald Trump.

Swapping out Joe for Kamala poses a challenge for the Trump-Vance ticket; polls indicate the race is already close, and the Democratic convention, along with her VP selection, could further tighten it.

Republicans are still navigating the right approach to critiquing a nominee who is a black woman: Democrats will label them as racist and sexist regardless, but voters will form their own opinions.

Still, she could falter, and pushing out one nominee is likely the limit before Democrats risk losing the “democracy” issue altogether.

We may never definitively know if Obama truly preferred Sen. Mark Kelly or someone else, but he is known for his intelligence.

And the premature elevation of Kamala Harris may not turn out to be as clever as initially thought.



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