Staff Reports
Kamala Harris is feeling the heat as she tries to distance herself from President Joe Biden, the man who gave her a shot at the political spotlight. During the presidential campaign, she made a big show of her confidence in Biden’s abilities, claiming he had enough in the tank for another term. Three and a half years into her vice presidency, it seems that confidence may have been misplaced, as even the Democrats are looking for a way to absolve Harris of any responsibility for the lackluster performance of the Biden administration.
This separation strategy was put in play recently when Democratic strategist James Carville penned a guest essay suggesting Harris should break ranks with the current president and market herself as a refreshing alternative. Apparently, the idea of being associated with a president whose approval ratings resemble a sinking ship is not a favorable position for her. Carville, no stranger to calling for dramatic shifts, urged Harris to reposition herself to avoid being just another passenger on the Biden express, which is rapidly heading off a cliff.
Harris proves she is willing and able to explicitly differentiate her policy preferences from Biden and this is what she chose. Responsive to pressure from wealthy donors but not from Democrats who want to stop US complicity in genocide. pic.twitter.com/e3kmXVpSAP
— wsbgnl (@wsbgnl) September 4, 2024
The Democrats’ desire for Harris to redefine herself isn’t shocking—after all, they have a president who struggles to wrap his head around basic policy discussions. Carville urged Harris to lean into a new agenda that would frame her as a capable leader rather than an extension of Biden’s administration, which has become synonymous with poor decisions and national embarrassment. He recommends that she should not shy away from her distinctions with Biden but instead embrace them openly and honestly. The irony here is rich; one can’t help but question how she plans to roll out a “new way forward” without ‘that old familiar face’ trailing behind her.
The catch for Harris is that her political career is glued to Biden, whether she likes it or not. Without his nomination, she wouldn’t have cracked the glass ceiling of the vice presidency. For all of her grandstanding, it’s difficult to imagine where she would be if not for Biden’s decision to prioritize identity politics over qualifications. The ungratefulness of wanting to cut ties with the very man who gave her a shot is just one more example of the cold-heartedness that seems to permeate the liberal elite.
As pressure mounts, the reality is that everyone knows the Biden-Harris administration has been plagued by failures. Kamala can try to spin a new narrative all she wants, but at the end of the day, the American public is not easily fooled. Democrats should realize that rather than running from the past, they should learn from it, because in the case of Kamala Harris, her fate is inextricably linked to that of Joe Biden. If she thinks distancing herself will lead to success, one might remind her that it’s hard to distance oneself from a sinking ship when you’re firmly aboard it.
