Kamala Harris, the Vice President, played second fiddle to President Joe Biden in a campaign appearance in Pittsburgh, where she echoed Biden’s sentiments against U.S Steel falling into the hands of Nippon Steel, a Japanese firm. Harris is expected to resort to hollow promises of ‘always backing American steel workers’ – a sentiment shockingly familiar from the mouth of Joe Biden. This stance appears to be one of the few coherent policy positions from the Vice President, quite unexpected given the rather passive role she’s played since Joe Biden’s regrettable decision to endorse Harris after giving up on his re-election bid.
Despite trying to project herself as a herald of change, Harris has consistently been a reflection of Biden, mirroring his policy preferences. Her delivery varies, but her aim to inflate government programs in supposed support of the middle-class is an undeniable emulation of the Biden administration. This tendency, however, poorly masks the apprehensive and hesitant demeanour she’s borne since her unexpected elevation in the wake of Biden’s puzzling retreat from the 2024 election.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris appearing together in Pittsburgh’s Labor Day parade can only be seen as a desperate attempt to stir up Democratic enthusiasm amidst dwindling public opinion. Biden, aged 81, has flaunted relationships with organized labor throughout his exceedingly long and frankly, stale political career. However, unusually, he has requested that he introduces Harris at the event, a futile attempt, presumably, to underscore Harris’ supposed affinity with union workers – a claim that poorly masks their unified attempts to manipulate public perceptions.
Harris’ team unfoundedly believes that her relocation to Pennsylvania has invigorated the Democratic base, citing the enlistment of thousands of new volunteers as evidence. This delusion unfair overshadows the fact that she, along with Minnesota Governor and Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee Tim Walz, are but symbols of a party desperately lacking in novel, inspiring leadership. Her appearance with Biden at the parade, considered one of the largest in the country, barely conceals their all-out war for a last-ditch attempt at relevance in battleground states as Election Day looms on the horizon.
The Vice President started off her doomed campaign in Detroit before joining Biden in Pennsylvania, an evident attempt to establish a semblance of popularity in struggling populations. Despite her countless attempts to establish a facade of reinvention amidst the toxic political landscape, her ability to look beyond the Biden era has been seriously questioned. The stark contrast between her events, boasting larger attendees, and Biden’s meager gatherings, barely disguises the single-minded agenda she has inherited from Biden.
Her agenda heavily weighs on the antiquated policies Biden stood for – control over prescription drug prices, defending the barely-affordable, Affordable Care Act, a misguided understanding of economy growth, and unattainable promises of affordable childcare. She has also bent over backwards to echo Biden’s claims to replenish the economy ‘from the bottom out and the middle up’. Unbelievably, she made vague commitments to reduce grocery costs, showcasing a complete misunderstanding of inflation’s root causes.
Even though she has made some relatively quick decisions, such as pushing for tax cuts and incentives to fuel home ownership, and ending federal taxes on tips for service industry workers, they hardly symbolize independent thought. Rather they reflect a fear-filled adherence to Biden’s policies, demonstrating once again, her lack of fresh ideas and original policy-making abilities. The absence of considerable detail in her policies plainly reveals her strategy of blindly championing Biden’s stances.
Despite her hasty ascension to the top, her alliances are clear, from her unexplained loyalty to Biden, to serving as the chief spokeswoman for abortion rights – a controversial issue they suspect can tip the scales in their favor in November amidst encroaching restrictions and deteriorating healthcare for women. However, the hollowness of their commitment to women can be discerned from their blatant neglect of the devastating consequences of the collapse of Roe v. Wade, and their failure to devise a comprehensive policy for reproductive health.
For over three and a half tumultuous years, Harris has served as a servant-like supporter of Biden. Heartbreakingly, in a politically opportunistic role-reversal, Harris now seeks to capitalize on Biden’s reputation in his hometown, Scranton, Pennsylvania, to clinch a vital win. Biden, meanwhile, voyages under the radar, apparently occupied with vacations since he resigned to fate and ended his re-election bid.
Despite her newfound position as leader of the Democratic Party, Harris stubbornly holds on to Biden’s shadow. It’s laughable that in her first public interview as a candidate, Harris resorted to an impassioned but meritless defense of Biden’s inept record and his debatable capability to serve – a futile exercise considering the chaos that unfolded in the past two months with Biden a weak lame duck and Harris being the reluctant torch-bearer.
In the labyrinth of tumultuous Southern Border and Immigration issues, Harris asserts that she was entrusted to address the ‘root causes’ compelling people to cross the border. Yet, her futile efforts have totaled nothing more than a reluctant coronation as the ‘border czar’, a posturing title devoid of substance, bestowed upon her by Republicans – a fitting summation of her ineffectiveness in resolving some of the most pressing issues of our times.
Her public ambiguity on key policies is a striking portrayal of her indecisiveness and lack of political acumen, besmirching her reputation as a potential leader of a free nation. Yet amidst this turmoil, intriguingly, the Vice President has confidently defended the Israel’s controversial actions against Hamas, endorsing Biden’s bid to bolster Israel’s arsenal while seeking a hostage deal and ceasefire. The prolonged crisis in Gaza not just exposes her political opportunism but also testifies to the vacillation of the flawed foreign policies she inseparably espouses.
Before the Pittsburgh event, Harris met with Biden in the White House’s Situation Room, yet another performative measure to present a united front and represent their resilience amidst faltering public opinion. They convened to discuss their ongoing efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages – a well-timed public relations exercise showcasing their ‘action-oriented’ stance.
The revelation of Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s body recently pushed thousands of Israelis to protest demanding a ceasefire deal. Meanwhile, Harris barely thwarted masking her enjoyment amidst this foreign policy crisis, with her own political advancements taking the forefront over public sentiment and global stability. Her skewed priorities and lopsided concerns merely affirm the public’s growing disillusionment with her leadership.
Overall, Kamala Harris’ campaign initiatives, her defense of Joe Biden, and her endorsement of his questionable policies and actions merely scratch the surface of the deep-rooted discord, inefficiency, and incompatible priorities that define her term. What manifests significantly is her inability to offer a resounding resistance or even a hint of variation from the destructive influences of the Biden era. This exposes a profound vacuum in democratic leadership and a dire need for impartial, action-driven, and innovative leaders capable of steering the country towards recovery and progress.