Prominent Democrats are challenging Vice President Kamala Harris’ leadership skills, with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reportedly harboring reservations.
A recent article in The New York Times stated that members of Congress, Democratic strategists, and other significant figures within the party concurred that Harris has yet to establish herself as a powerful leader.
The piece said two Democrats recalled Clinton privately dismissing Harris’ chances of clearing a presidential primary field because she lacked the necessary “political instincts.”
“Two Democrats recalled private conversations in which former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lamented that Ms. Harris could not win because she does not have the political instincts to clear a primary field,” the Times reported.
A spokesman for Clinton pointed to their “strong bond,” although the Times didn’t quote him issuing a specific denial of Clinton’s reported private thoughts.
“They have built and maintained a strong bond. Any other characterization is patently false,” Nick Merrill said on Clinton’s behalf.
He also claimed the two held discussions focused on their separate experiences of being “a woman in power” and, according to the Times, reiterated that Clinton remains “strongly supportive” of her.
The Times article relayed Democrats’ malaise around Harris’ inability to “carve out” a political identity for herself beyond her legacy as many “firsts” – the first African-American, Asian-American and woman to serve as vice president in U.S. history.
“Even some Democrats whom her own advisers referred reporters to for supportive quotes confided privately that they had lost hope in her,” the article stated.
In 2016, Clinton made history as the first and only woman to receive a major party’s presidential nomination in U.S. history. During the 2020 Democratic nomination process, a record number of women, including Harris, attempted to secure the nomination but failed to win a single primary or caucus. Harris withdrew her candidacy prior to the Iowa caucuses in the 2020 cycle and later endorsed Joe Biden, who chose her as his Vice Presidential running mate.
Harris has faced repeated criticism over her mishandling of America’s southern border crisis, but the hits from her own arena go deeper.
A Jan. 30 article in The Washington Post concentrated on Democrats’ frustrations with her tenure as vice president, with the report stating many are “worried” by the idea of seeing her lead the Democratic Party in the future while others are simply uptight about her being a continued drag on the White House.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., also appeared uncomfortable with the prospect of seeing Harris return as vice president during a recent interview with Boston Public Radio in which she said she wanted to “defer” the decision to Biden.
Kamela is kind of a disappointment, but as well Biden have not given her the same kind of opportunities to shine as Obama gave him.
It concern me that both parties leadership is either old and sclerotic or moronic millennials with little clue of what our country needs
Hillary would beat knee-pads easily….