Vice President Kamala Harris has gone nearly a month without giving a sit-down, unscripted interview since President Joe Biden dropped his reelection bid and anointed her as the Democratic nominee. But now, CNN’s Michael Smerconish warned on Saturday that she will eventually need to address her record and policy shifts as she campaigns for president.
Smerconish noted that Harris has been avoiding interviews to gain more time to justify her shifts on policies since launching her campaign. However, he emphasized that she will eventually be held accountable for these changes. “Kamala Harris is not indestructible. She has served as an undistinguished, nearly invisible vice president. There appears no accomplishment she can point to for her most important responsibility, addressing the origin of the border crisis,” Smerconish said.
“Thus far, Harris has had a free ride. She has not given any media interviews, hasn’t faced voter questioning. When asked recently, she said that she would give an interview by the end of the month. She said that on August the eighth. No doubt she wants more time on the clock to prepare answers as to why she’s flipped on health care, fracking, weed, and the death penalty, to name just a few,” he added. “Sooner or later, she’s going to be held accountable and face pressure that she has thus far largely avoided.”
Smerconish also noted that Harris’ Friday speech about her economic plans “received mixed reviews” as some said it may raise costs for Americans. “You’d think that she’ll enjoy another week of positive coverage amidst the DNC [Democratic National Committee], which will feature three democratic presidents, but with passions inflamed about Israel and Gaza, there is an air of unpredictability as to what will happen in Chicago,” he added.
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Democrats also worry that the party’s smug overconfidence during Harris’s honeymoon period could undermine her ability to handle intense attacks as the November election approaches. Democratic strategists recognize that Harris, a far-left West Coast Democrat, will eventually need to address questions about her record and navigate any potential October surprises or opposition research aimed at derailing her campaign.
“Every presidential campaign in modern history has had to go through an unanticipated scandal, crisis or world event, and at some point, that political law is going to happen to Kamala Harris’s campaign,” Fernand Amandi, a former President Obama strategist, told The Hill. “Anyone who is measuring the drapes at the White House needs a serious reality check,” he added.
Most swing state polls indicate that Harris is statistically tied with former President Donald Trump. This polling has buoyed Democrats, especially after Trump had previously led President Joe Biden by nearly double digits in the same surveys before he stepped down. “Democrats are rightfully elated with the trajectory of the Harris-Walz campaign,” Democrat strategist Tim Hogan told the outlet. “But anyone politically conscious over the last decade — especially Democrats — knows that terrain can shift and events beyond our control can quickly change the nature of elections.”
“So we come into this with a ton of well-earned anxiety that all the polls in the world can’t entirely dissipate,” Democrat strategist Christy Setzer said. “It all looks good, but trust us when say we take nothing for granted.”
Other Democrats have cautioned that not all polling data is favorable for the Harris campaign. Former Obama strategist Jim Messina, referencing undecided voter data, warned against overconfidence in what he described as an “incredibly close” election. “When you look at who the undecided voters are in this election, we’re down to like 5 percent,” he told Dana Perino on Fox News. “And the question is, are some of those voters going to get out and actually vote.”
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.