Unexpectedly ending a 45-day hiatus of refraining from in-depth interviews, Vice President Kamala Harris finally emerged last Thursday. Interestingly enough, she has not managed to hold an official press conference since becoming the presiding Democratic nominee, even after more than a month and a half. Succumbing to mounting demands for a comprehensive interview, she eventually agreed to converse with CNN’s Dana Bash in Georgia, while being accompanied by her Vice Presidential running mate Tim Walz.
In their conversation, Harris attempted to justify several discernible shifts in her political stance on crucial issues such as fracking and immigration. Despite her prancing around different policy choices, she proclaimed that her ‘values’ remained steadfast. In addition, she was grilled about her unwavering defense of President Biden’s mental fit during his debate, especially given his subsequent departure from the race in less than a month. Remarkably, she expressed a wish to shift from ‘what has been contrary to the spirit of our country,’ as she put it.
As Dana Bash pointed out, Harris held the Vice President position for three-and-a-half years of this ‘contrary’ period. In response, Harris appeared to conveniently misdirect the conversation by suggesting she wished to move past the ‘era’ she referred to, possibly hinting at Donald Trump’s political ascendancy beginning in 2015. After this somewhat vague exchange, most found it challenging to decipher her exact game plan.
Following this inaugural interview, NBC News Washington correspondent Yamiche Alcindor, who traditionally has been highly appreciative of the Biden-Harris duo, seemed noticeably underwhelmed. Alcindor pointedly remarked on how Harris repeatedly insisted that her ‘values hadn’t changed,’ while providing no reasonable explanation for her fluctuating political positions.
Despite this interview, the cloud of uncertainty regarding a formal press conference from Harris continues to hover. This period marks exactly six weeks since Harris was endorsed by Biden following his unexpected exit from the race. She thereafter undisputedly secured the nomination, as no other democratic candidate stepped up to challenge her leadership. Fox News contributor Joe Concha made a speculative prediction earlier this month, suggesting that it was unlikely Harris would hold a press conference before Election Day.
Curtis Houck, managing editor at NewsBusters, expressed a sentiment shared by many, feeling that Vice President Harris should hold unprompted press conferences, giving reporters the freedom to ask follow-up questions, unlike her recent stint with CNN’s Dana Bash. Houck hoped for a liberal journalist who could demonstrate bravery and question Harris responsibly.
The interview with Bash was inherently skewed towards showcasing Harris in a positive light. From the promotional video-like introduction by Bash, it gave an impression of an orchestrated media spectacle rather than a probe into finding hard facts. Houck commented on the detrimental lack of substantial questioning, pointing out that there were many untouched areas such as death-row inmates voting rights, ending private insurance, defunding the police, and more.
Historically, former President Trump has made sure to emphasize the stark contrast between his and Harris’ media engagements. Trump, living up to his reputation for being media savvy, had indulged in several exhaustive interviews and even press conferences. On the contrary, Harris’ Thursday appearance with Bash spurred varied reactions.
Interestingly, Harris won cautious approval from her liberal supporters for her defiant reaction to a query pertaining to Trump’s remarks that she artfully dodged. Trump had insinuated that she did not recognize her black identity until adulthood. Labeling Trump’s racial jabs as an overused ‘playbook,’ she curtly moved to the next issue.
Meanwhile, Scott Jennings, a conservative CNN commentator, crudely found Harris’s interview to be lip-smackingly appetizing for Trump’s campaign. Jennings indicated that Harris’s acceptance of ‘Bidenomics’ should be a cause for concern for her campaign. He pointed out that she appeared to blindly follow Biden’s economic policies, revealing a lack of introspection or apology for any past actions.
Harris, with noticeable trepidation, managed to barely clear the threshold she had established three weeks prior, expressing her intention to schedule a one-on-one. Whether this act would prompt her to engage in more public appearances or take on her first independent interview as a candidate is yet to unfold.
Curtis Houck voiced a common apprehension, alluding to the thought that liberal media might convince audiences that this interview and any upcoming ones are adequate for the campaign trail. There seems to be an attempt to emulate CBS’s Steve Kroft or NPR’s Steve Inskeep’s clear veneration for Barack Obama, which hasn’t been mirrored in Harris’s case.
Regardless of these speculations, one must not forget the postulated prediction of Fox News contributor Joe Concha. Drawing attention back to his remarks, Harris has yet to schedule a press conference in the next 75 days until Election Day. An evident bid to limit direct contact with the press, it seems.