Why Kamala Harris Lost: The Challenges of a Complex Campaign

[Social Media]

 

Nearly a month ago, Kamala Harris appeared on *The View* for what was expected to be a favorable interview to connect with the American public. But the conversation quickly veered off course when she was asked what she would have done differently from President Joe Biden. Her answer, "Not a thing comes to mind," turned into a Republican attack ad and highlighted the difficulties her campaign faced in securing a victory over Donald Trump on Tuesday.

"Sometimes the fight takes a while."

Here is the full entire concession speech from VP Kamala Harris at Howard University.

☹️ pic.twitter.com/5TUVHPdFEw

— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) November 6, 2024

 

By late Wednesday, Harris publicly conceded, urging her supporters to "do not despair." Her loss has left Democrats questioning what went wrong and what the future holds for their party. Harris campaign officials were initially silent, with some aides stunned and tearful, anticipating a closer race. "Losing is unfathomably painful. It is hard," campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon wrote in an email to staff. "This will take a long time to process."

 

As vice president, Harris was closely tied to Biden, a president with low approval ratings and a heavy association with economic struggles, which many Americans see as top issues. Biden’s approval ratings remained in the low 40s throughout his term, and around two-thirds of voters consistently reported that they believed the U.S. was on the wrong track. Harris was expected to bring fresh energy and change, but distancing herself from the president was a difficult, if not impossible, task. Her former communication director, Jamal Simmons, described it as a "trap," noting that distancing herself from Biden would have only exposed her to new attacks. "You can't really run away from the president who chooses you," Simmons stated.

 

Biden’s decision to drop out after a poor debate performance left Harris leading the ticket without a primary vote to validate her candidacy, bypassing the vetting and momentum a primary contest might have provided. She began a 100-day campaign on a message of "a new generation of leadership," with a strong focus on women’s rights, abortion access, and working-class issues such as rising costs and housing affordability. Her campaign initially gained traction, with endorsements from public figures like Taylor Swift and record-setting donations, but it was not enough to shift the anti-Biden sentiment that permeated the electorate.

 

Harris’s campaign tried to frame the race as a referendum on Trump, leaning into her background as a prosecutor to critique the former president. She also aimed to balance a positive, forward-looking message with warnings about Trump’s potential return to power. However, as the election drew closer, her strategy shifted to a direct confrontation, labeling Trump a “fascist” and calling him “unhinged and unstable” in response to former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly’s account of Trump’s alarming remarks about Adolf Hitler.

 

This pivot, though intended to energize the base, may have ultimately backfired. Republican pollster Frank Luntz observed, "Kamala Harris lost this election when she pivoted to focus almost exclusively on attacking Donald Trump." Her attempt to emphasize the dangers of a Trump presidency while also providing a hopeful vision for the future left some voters uncertain about her own platform and her approach to pressing issues like economic anxiety and immigration.

 

In the end, Harris’s close alignment with Biden and a campaign strategy that wavered between optimism and confrontation may have eroded her standing with voters. As Democrats look ahead, her loss underscores the complexities of maintaining party unity while pushing for change—especially when burdened with an incumbent's legacy.

 

Based on a report by BBC 2024-11-08

 

 

 

[thrilled]

She didn’t get 1 vote in the Democrat primary. She dropped out. Biden probably shouldn’t have allowed, Schumer, Obama and Pelosi to push him out. Anyway there wasn’t to much to the huzzy

 

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, Social Media said:

She began a 100-day campaign on a message of "a new generation of leadership," with a strong focus on women’s rights, abortion access, and working-class issues such as rising costs and housing affordability.

Had she concentrated on the working class issues she might have done better. The greater emphasis on women and abortion etc were not important to financially struggling voters.

 

1 hour ago, Social Media said:

Harris’s campaign tried to frame the race as a referendum on Trump, leaning into her background as a prosecutor to critique the former president. She also aimed to balance a positive, forward-looking message with warnings about Trump’s potential return to power. However, as the election drew closer, her strategy shifted to a direct confrontation, labeling Trump a “fascist” and calling him “unhinged and unstable” in response to former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly’s account of Trump’s alarming remarks about Adolf Hitler.

In the end, all she had was Trump bad. Certainly seemed she couldn't open her mouth for longer than 5 minutes without attacking Trump.

Voters want a positive message as to how she would make their lives better, but were disappointed. Negativity is a very big turn off.

Adolf Hitler- seriously? I suspect we won't be hearing much from Kelly for a very long time.

 

IMO she was the author of her own downfall.

[Cryingdick]

She didn't make sense without the aid of a teleprompter. She tried to stage a campaign that resembled a terrible reality show studded with the dimmest celebrities out there. When she did speak on a teleprompter it was all venom and nastiness. Abortion doesn't sell as well as they thought and that's all they had.

 

What little she said about economics was utterly moronic. Like $25,000 for first time homeowners. Despite what that would do to small towns where a decent house can be had for under $100k people also realized first time buyer was code for illegal aliens. 

 

The border.

 

Her horrible VP pick the folksy smooth hands lily white latent homo that although he was an expert on football couldn't go to any national game without being booed. 

 

Offering black people $20,000 in "forgivable" loans and a chance to sell weed in the opportunity economy.

 

The list goes on. . Her campaign will be a case study in what not to do on the campaign trail. Add this to the fact she is unlikeable and dumb as a rock. 

 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by Cryingdick

[jimmybcool]

Bill Clinton said it best.  "It's the economy stupid".  No Democrat was going to win unless they distanced themself from the current policies that led to the reduction in real spending power for the average working family.  Add to that she is seriously inept speaking without a teleprompter.  The Democrats show themselves in the foot.

 

[Luuk Chaai]

1 hour ago, thrilled said:

She didn’t get 1 vote in the Democrat primary. She dropped out. Biden probably shouldn’t have allowed, Schumer, Obama and Pelosi to push him out. Anyway there wasn’t to much to the huzzy

 

 

hard to imagine  ..  election results showed she under performed in every county vs Biden's record

 that's the true definition of Loser !

[Luuk Chaai]

36 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

She didn't make sense without the aid of a teleprompter. She tried to stage a campaign that resembled a terrible reality show studded with the dimmest celebrities out there. When she did speak on a teleprompter it was all venom and nastiness. Abortion doesn't sell as well as they thought and that's all they had.

 

What little she said about economics was utterly moronic. Like $25,000 for first time homeowners. Despite what that would do to small towns where a decent house can be had for under $100k people also realized first time buyer was code for illegal aliens. 

 

The border.

 

Her horrible VP pick the folksy smooth hands lily white latent homo that although he was an expert on football couldn't go to any national game without being booed. 

 

Offering black people $20,000 in "forgivable" loans and a chance to sell weed in the opportunity economy.

 

The list goes on. . Her campaign will be a case study in what not to do on the campaign trail. Add this to the fact she is unlikeable and dumb as a rock. 

 

 

 

hey,,   why are you dissin' rocks ?

dumber than stepped in dog sh** would have fit better

[NickyLouie]

She lost because USA is racist and misogynistic.

 

 

 

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

43 minutes ago, NickyLouie said:

She lost because USA is racist and misogynistic.

 

 

 

 

 

Sore loser?