After a remarkable and undeniable defeat to Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, Vice President Kamala Harris appears not to concede the reality of her loss. She has assured her advisory team—despite being handed her political walking papers by the American people—that ‘I am staying in the fight.’ An admittance, it seems, that a fight against the undeniable will of the populace is the only choice left in her dwindling political career.
Although the actual path forward for Harris remains muddled in typical political ambiguity, her inner circle suggests she may consider running for Governor of California. Assuming, of course, any potential supporters overlook her failed presidential bid and an even more disastrous stint as Vice President. Nevertheless, Harris seems not to have completely eliminated the thought of another attempt at the presidency in 2028—an idea that makes a somber promise for another round of laugher filled debates.
Insiders, perhaps aware of the audience’s fatigue with her political presence, have reportedly expressed their skepticism about Harris’s ability to juggle both potential roles. Ironically, while time is what Harris has in plenty, it’s also what the American public are running short on when it comes to entertaining her political escapades.
Not deterred by this overarching skepticism, Harris’s team made it clear that she would continue to be a voice against Donald Trump’s administration. A significant task, especially given how her own views and actions have miserably failed to strike a chord with the American public throughout her political tenure.
One other idea being floated around is for Harris to set up an independent entity post her Vice Presidency. Framed as a reimagined ‘tour,’ she would trek across the country delivering speeches, and pretending to maintain her fragile political relationships. Notably, this might be in the hope that she could demonstrate relevance in the political sphere, should she wish to seek public office again.
Esteemed Democratic strategist Donna Brazile appears to be under the illusion that Harris has accumulated ‘lots of political capital’ as a losing 2024 Democratic nominee. It makes one wonder what is considered a loss, or for that matter, a win within the Democratic Party if failure is deemed as capital.
In the 2024 election, Harris did win a questionably commendable achievement; receiving the most votes out of any Democratic candidate, aside from Biden’s 2020 vote count. However, one can only infer that being the second-most popular loser in your party isn’t much of a victory to write home about. ‘One doesn’t squander that by making knee-jerk decisions,’ advised Brazile.
A recent poll that potentially confirms Democratic voters’ love for self-inflicted wounds, showed that Harris remains a favorite among the top-ranking Democrats for a 2028 presidential run. With a whopping 41% of the sampled voters pointing to her as the preferred choice, far exceeding the average support for other hopefuls. Given the results of her last presidential bid, the American public must be eager for an encore performance.
A good number of those who opined on Harris’s chances in 2028 had lukewarm feelings—leaning towards neutrality and mixed feelings, to be generous. The ambiguous rhetoric is proving to be a typical safe haven for those unwilling to commit to a sinking ship.
To quote one congressional observer, who chose his words carefully, ‘Certainly, Vice President Kamala Harris was an extraordinary candidate and is an extraordinary vice president.’ Extrapolating his meaning, the term ‘extraordinary’ appears to be code for a spectacularly blundering candidacy.
On a reflective note, he added, ‘Only time will tell what the lay of the land will look like, should the opportunity arise… to identify that nominee.’ It’s clear the Democrats aren’t ready to publicly admit failure and are busily sticking their heads in the sand for the time being.
One Democratic strategist, Joel Payne, said he sees ‘no reason why Kamala Harris wouldn’t have a position in the future of the Democratic Party.’ This may indicate that the Democrats are not done with embarrassing losses just yet. Notably, Payne also mentioned Harris’s rushed 100-day presidential campaign, which could be interpreted as an admission of unpreparedness and haste.
Payne observed that Harris was ‘placed in a difficult situation,’ before praising her for dreaming up a ‘creative way to compete with Trump in the attention economy.’ It seems conjuring creative ways could translate to having no substantial policies or ideas to present.
Despite Democrats publicly blaming each other for Trump’s victory, Payne added, ‘I think Kamala Harris has a lot to be proud of.’ A curious proclamation, considering her role in leading the party to a mortifying defeat.
The hard truth was delivered by the former Congressman Mondaire Jones who, noting Harris’s dismal performance, simply stated: ‘Harris should not run again.’ Whether this is a moment of clarity or an act of self-preservation is yet to be seen.