The campaign to rehabilitate Vice President Kamala Harris’ image is well under way, suggesting the Democrats have finally recognized the potential problem her low public standing poses for President Joe Biden’s re-election.
“Why Vice President Harris Is Invaluable for 2024,” headlined a nine-page memo from Biden-Harris campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez and Becca Siegel, the campaign’s chief data operative. They argued her stress on issues important to core Democrats outweighs any popular shortcomings.
Actually, the campaign to spotlight Harris coincides with signs that she has found more of her political bearings, though it’s not yet apparent in the polls. Serving as the administration’s spokesperson on abortion, gun control and racial issues suits her a lot better than her initial assignment on immigration.
In a sense, Harris is performing the traditional political role played by most vice presidents from Richard Nixon to Joe Biden, serving as something of an attack dog on the opposition’s perceived weaknesses.
Harris’ initial struggles were hardly surprising. Picked to provide racial and ideological balance and fulfill Biden’s pledge to pick a female running mate, she was far less experienced than the president, a veteran of five decades in Washington.