The Unraveling of Kamala Harris

Yes, I know this is from 2020, but it’s very relevant to STUDY and KNOW your history…

It’s also news-worthy because Elon Musk just posted this to his account with the caption “Strange Days”.

This is a clip from the 2020 primary race when Kamala Harris’ campaign imploded and she dropped out before even making it to the very first state!

You telling me she’s suddenly more popular that Obama?

Yeah, I don’t think so either.

They’re doing all they can to prop her up, but Elon reminds us of how this story will likely end again.

Take a look:

Strange days https://t.co/fSiiF3gm46

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 18, 2024

Full screen video player here:

CNN: How Kamala Harris’s Campaign Unraveled Before The Iowa Caucus

“She’s not able to articulate a consistent and compelling message.”

Kamala Harris dropped out of the 2020 primary race before voting began because she was so unpopular among Democrats.

She then hit a 28%… pic.twitter.com/ryXgHfYAIF

— KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) August 18, 2024

Here’s a transcript:

CNN’s Nia-Malika Henderson:  “How Kamala Harris’s campaign Unraveled.” They obtained the resignation letter of the Harris campaign State Operations Director, who is now joining the Bloomberg campaign. She wrote, It is unacceptable that with less than 90 days until Iowa, we still do not have a real plan to win. Our campaign for the People is made up of diverse talent, which is being squandered by indecision and a lack of leaders who lead. Molly, that is rough stuff. You You wrote a fantastic cover story on Kamala Harris about a month ago or so. I’m sure, based on what your reporting has been, a lot of this isn’t really a surprise to you.

TIME Magazine’s Molly Bail:  No. What’s a surprise is that she has failed to turn it around despite literally months and months and months of hearing this kind of frustration. And you hear it’s reporters, it’s people inside the campaign, it’s people outside the campaign. It’s pretty much every voter that you meet on the campaign trail who goes to see her. And the common theme is people want to like her, and then she doesn’t close the deal. She’s not able to articulate a consistent and compelling message that makes those voters who show up for her, who are interested in what she’s selling, that makes them decide, yes, this is the candidate I can commit to. And the TIME story and a Post story today have really laid out this frustration, especially within her team, that she hasn’t been able to make those decisions.

Nia-Malika Henderson:  And, she’s been all over the place in terms of messaging. Here’s a clip that shows some of her inconsistent messaging.

Kamala Harris ad – in her voice:  Truth, justice, decency, equality, freedom. Our mother would sit up trying to figure out how to make it all work. That’s something most Americans know all too well. And that’s what my 3 AM agenda is all about.

(Disconcerting Male Voice) from ad:  He’s tearing us apart. She’ll bring us together. This is Trump. And in every possible way, this is the anti-Trump.

Nia-Malika Henderson:  And now to Lou, her one of the messages is she’s the one who can bring back the Obama coalition in the way that Obama had it in 2007.

Toluse Olorunnipa: Yeah, they’ve tried out a number of different messages over the past several months and just tried to see what has stuck. And it’s been difficult to follow her campaign because there have been so many different messages. And one of the biggest debates that she’s having internally is whether she wants to be this progressive, left-wing, California liberal, or whether or not she wants to be more of a moderate. And both of those lanes are currently clogged up. And the fact that she’s vacillating between the two of those makes it difficult for any voter to stick to her when there are so many other options.

Nia-Malika Henderson:  Julie, this was a policy-heavy campaign, I think, in a way that some folks who got in didn’t necessarily predict and maybe weren’t ready for. And she has had issues with some of her policies.

Julie Hirschfeld Davis:  Right. And some of this goes back to the candidate herself. They have tried out a lot of different messages and a lot of different strategies. But as Molly said, it is her lack of ability to stick to one policy prescription, one set of policy issues that she really wants to be her trademark that has put her where she is today.

Nia-Malika Henderson:  For her, it seems like it’s die, Iowa, so we’ll see. Just a couple of weeks.

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