Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Democratic Primaries
Related: About this forum
Congratulations to our presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden!
The two challenges that doomed Kamala Harris
Washington PostJust six months ago Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) delivered an impressive debate performance, unnerving former vice president Joe Biden and rocketing in the polls. On Tuesday, she announced she was suspending her campaign, citing lack of money.
How did Harris go from rising star to a pre-Iowa exit? Here was a candidate who (when she was on) was passionate, funny, empathetic and commanding. Her one-on-one conversations with voters along the trail were tutorials in empathetic listening. She, among all the candidates, best fit the description of happy warrior. It was not enough.
If raw political talent were the test or demonstrable empathy were the determining factors in a presidential race, she would be lapping the field. But ultimately, the test of presidential candidates is whether they can build a behemoth organization around a focused message, one that in 2019 could break through the messages from numerous other candidates.
News accounts documented tensions and confusing lines of authority in the campaign, which, when things are going poorly, often become the default explanations. (Those accounts, in turn, make fundraising difficult if not impossible.) However, these dissension in the ranks stories tend to be more a symptom than the cause of a campaigns unwinding. In this case, it was a campaign for a candidate boxed in between far-left progressives and moderates, with no single policy objective to provide an organizing principle. She did suffer at times from a lack of focus, a fuzziness that some incorrectly attributed to excessive caution.
How did Harris go from rising star to a pre-Iowa exit? Here was a candidate who (when she was on) was passionate, funny, empathetic and commanding. Her one-on-one conversations with voters along the trail were tutorials in empathetic listening. She, among all the candidates, best fit the description of happy warrior. It was not enough.
If raw political talent were the test or demonstrable empathy were the determining factors in a presidential race, she would be lapping the field. But ultimately, the test of presidential candidates is whether they can build a behemoth organization around a focused message, one that in 2019 could break through the messages from numerous other candidates.
News accounts documented tensions and confusing lines of authority in the campaign, which, when things are going poorly, often become the default explanations. (Those accounts, in turn, make fundraising difficult if not impossible.) However, these dissension in the ranks stories tend to be more a symptom than the cause of a campaigns unwinding. In this case, it was a campaign for a candidate boxed in between far-left progressives and moderates, with no single policy objective to provide an organizing principle. She did suffer at times from a lack of focus, a fuzziness that some incorrectly attributed to excessive caution.
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
2 replies, 1077 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (3)
ReplyReply to this post
2 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
The two challenges that doomed Kamala Harris (Original Post)
brooklynite
Dec 2019
OP
FailureToCommunicate
(14,027 posts)1. As Rachel might say: Horse-pucky
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
NoMoreRepugs
(9,486 posts)2. Ms Harris raised the bar - for that I say thank you.
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden