Kamala Harris seems 'unburdened' by her lackluster past. She can thank the media for that.
I hate to admit it, but I’m kind of impressed.
The effort between Democrats and the media to create a political star out of Kamala Harris has gone shockingly well.
After President Joe Biden finally threw in the towel last month on his presidential bid, the refurbishing campaign began in earnest.
In a couple of weeks, Harris has gone from a generally disliked, ineffective flop of a vice president to a progressive champion who has miraculously united and excited her Democratic Party just ahead of its national convention in Chicago.
The momentum of her campaign increased Tuesday when she announced her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim “one person’s socialism is another person's neighborliness” Walz.
(Yes, Walz really said that last week on the “White Dudes for Harris” fundraiser call.)
Harris’ choice of Walz indicates she’s confident enough to go with a far-left progressive from a state that’s not really in play.
She’s also managed to steal the spotlight from former President Donald Trump, who just weeks ago survived an assassination attempt that’s become old news rather quickly.
Why segregate campaign fundraisers? ‘White women’ and ‘white dudes’ pledge their allegiance to Kamala Harris. Talk about weird.
One of Harris’ favorite refrains is the phrase, “What can be, unburdened by what has been.”
Perhaps she repeated it enough that it came true. The vice president suddenly seems completely unburdened by the negativity that has overshadowed her tenure in the White House.
How’d Harris pull this off?
With a lot of help.
Rule No. 1: Keep Harris on teleprompter
Harris’ ability to completely redefine herself in a matter of weeks seems tied to her teleprompter. Her campaign team has not let her go far from it. And for good reason.
A brief unscripted response to reporters at last week’s prisoner swap celebration between the United States and Russia, that finally led to the homecoming of Americans like journalist Evan Gershkovich, is a great example.
In what should have been a simple answer to deliver, Harris said in part the following: “This is just an extraordinary testament to the importance of having a president who understands the power of diplomacy, and understands the strength that rests in understanding the significance of diplomacy and strengthening alliances. This is an incredible day.”
There’s a tremendous effort to tell me this person is inspiring and skilled, but this is 10 extemporaneous seconds on the easiest win possible. The question she faces (the only one she’s faced?) is basically “how do you feel about this good thing?” ??pic.twitter.com/j1ndSOjytc
— Mary Katharine Ham (@mkhammer) August 2, 2024
This harkens back to what Harris is known for doing when she’s off teleprompter – stringing together nonsensical word salads.
And it's why Harris has so far limited her appearances to rallies and events where she’s safely on script and can control the narrative.
Since becoming the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Harris has not held formal news conferences or interviews where she could face tough questions. And the news media hasn’t put any pressure on her to do so.
Harris even skipped the National Association of Black Journalists convention last week, although she – the first Black woman and first Asian American presidential nominee of a major party – had been invited.
Criticize him all you want, but Trump also was invited and actually showed up, even though he certainly knew it wouldn’t be a friendly audience (it wasn’t).
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Will Harris' honeymoon period end?
Harris’ limited public appearances and friendly media coverage have allowed her to create a new persona.
Her unfavorability rating had spiked for much of the past year and half (with a 17-point gap as of early July between those who had an unfavorable and favorable opinion of her). That gap has miraculously shrunk by more than 10 points since Biden dropped out.
I have to wonder if she can keep it up. Can the honeymoon last until Election Day? Won’t voters remember what she’s really like?
Ari Fleischer, former press secretary for President George W. Bush, thinks the mainstream media’s distaste for Trump will push them to keep painting Harris in a positive light.
“I’ve been around the MSM for a long time and I’ve never seen them so passive,” he recently observed on X. “If you thought they were in the tank for Pres. Obama, it’s nothing compared now to their desire to defeat Trump and help Harris. They should be roasting Harris for hiding and refusing to do interviews. Instead, they’re in on it. If it helps her win, it’s more than fine with the MSM.”
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It wasn’t that long ago that Biden finally came out of hiding and showed himself to the world at the debate with Trump in June. That didn’t go so well for him, but it was revealing to say the least.
Harris was able to avoid the primaries and the vetting that comes with that process. She owes it to the American people to let us see for ourselves who she really is.
And the media should do their job and make sure she does.
Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at [email protected] or on X, formerly Twitter: @Ingrid_Jacques.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Media keeps giving Harris' record a pass. Voters deserve the truth
