Dominantly remembered for her often perplexing and incoherent rhetoric, Vice President Kamala Harris stamped herself a firm relationship with the term ‘word salad’ throughout the tumultuous 2024 presidential campaign. Day after day, she bewilderingly dished out a myriad of meaningless phrases that seemed to lack direction. Unsurprisingly, her bewildered audience regularly found themselves scratching their heads, trying to decipher the meaning behind her convoluted utterances. Despite efforts from her aides to streamline her messaging and safeguard her from unplanned situations, it was evident that such a control couldn’t be maintained indefinitely, as evidenced by the puzzling performances that endure in public memory.
One of Harris’s pet phrases that left the public particularly baffled was ‘significance of the passage of time’. This peculiar saying seemed to gain even more popularity within her narrative as she brazenly stepped into the shoes of the Democratic presidential candidate on July 21. One particular instance saw Harris aggressively spinning this phrase during her 2022 speech on the expansion of broadband access. Her repeated insistence on the ‘significance of the passage of time’ left her audience questioning the relevance of her message to the topic at hand.
A noteworthy moment that distinctly outshines others during the campaign came right after President Joe Biden bowed out of the 2024 race. A significant return of detained Americans from Russia marked the occasion, and Harris was beckoned to articulate her thoughts on the moment. Bafflingly, she managed to further mystify her audience by propounding the extraordinary testament, this day represented, to the ‘power of diplomacy’, a phrase which seemed to lack any clear substance in this context.
Harris’s infamous phrase over the years, ‘what can be, unburdened by what has been’, seemed to be an elaborate metaphor laden with heavy symbolism but utterly devoid of distinct meaning. Her dramatic hand movements may have made a spectacle, but they failed to convey a convincing message to her audience. As she waxed poetic about dreams, possibilities, and aspirations, her nebulous language left everyone doubtful of the specifics regarding her vision of the ‘opportunity economy’.
Of course, Harris didn’t lack from support. Media maven Oprah Winfrey tore a page from her book of public endorsements to back Harris in a televised town hall late September. Harris used this opportunity to unleash an enigmatic tirade peppered with her trademark ambiguity. After a rather verbose and puzzling monologue, even Oprah looked taken aback, clearly stumped by Harris’s baffling discourse.
With still 32 days to go before the deciding Election Day, Harris found herself in a troublesome predicament as her teleprompter agonizingly malfunctioned at a public rally. Forced to think on her feet, she remarkably managed to speak even more cryptically than before, resulting in an awkward scramble of repeated phrases and misplaced words. Despite the recovery, the incident served as a stark reminder of the fragility of her highly rehearsed public image.
Daringly, Harris chose to confront her critics head-on in a CNN town hall late October—an attempt to win over skeptical voters. Her confidence, however, seemed misplaced as she floundered in the face of hard-hitting questions. When probed over her inconsistency regarding funding for a border wall, her convoluted response left the audience questioning the consistency of her policy positions rather than providing any clear answers.
On November 1, as the election loomed large, Harris urged her supporters to ‘understand the difference here’—a phrase she repeated ad nauseam without ever outlining what that difference was. These enigmatic utterances paradoxically sowed confusion instead of clarity, leaving the crowd wondering exactly what they were supposed to be understanding.
Post-election, Harris managed to stir up 75 million votes nationwide, amassing 48.4% of the total votes. Her mind-boggling catchphrase ‘Don’t you ever let anybody take your power from you’ became a rallying cry for her followers in the aftermath of her loss. Spiritually motivating, perhaps, but once again, the meaning behind her words remained obscure.
As she moves towards the end of her vice-presidential tenure, speculations abound of Harris plotting a comeback. Various roles are being mooted, including a bid for the California governor’s seat or even another attempt to secure the top office in the land.
However, Harris’s convoluted verbiage seems to have marred her chances, leaving Democrats hesitant about her ability to lead. With the memories of her bewildering campaign speeches from July 21 to November 5 still fresh, many seem to have grown tired of her perplexing rhetoric. Judging from a recent poll, only 32% of Democrats appear to be willing to stomach another plate of Harris’s word salad.
Overall, it’s hard to overlook Harris’s knack for convoluted language. Whether it’s her insistence on the ‘significance of time,’ her nebulous interpretation of the ‘power of diplomacy,’ or her abstract ramblings at her town hall with Oprah Winfrey, her inability to deliver clear, concise messages is a tangible barrier between her and public approval.
Furthermore, Harris’s awkward incident during the Michigan rally further highlights her dependence on rehearsed scripts, raising questions about her ability to respond to situations in real time. Indeed, it’s one thing to be unable to answer tough questions, another to be left stumped by a teleprompter mishap.
Harris’s performance on CNN, particularly her evasion of a question on border wall funding, speaks volumes about her ineffective communication style. Seeming reluctance to answer straightforward questions only deepens public skepticism regarding her credibility.
On the whole, Harris’s 2024 campaign may well be remembered for elevating the term ‘word salad’ to unprecedented popularity within the political discourse. Her propensity for confusing verbiage has proved more a hindrance than a strength and has indubitably limited her appeal among even the loyal Democratic ranks.