What makes Harris a bad candidate?

[AGA]

I agree that Harris wouldn't be as good of a candidate as Biden in the general, but what are the main reasons for this? Is she perceived as too far left or too "woke"? Or too tough on crime? How much will her image change in four years? Is she really a bad candidate or just worse than Biden?

[ProgressiveModerate]

Because the only 2 Demographics that matter; rural whites in the rust belt and moderate suburban Republicans are bound to dislike her.

[RINO Tom]

Because the only 2 Demographics that matter; rural whites in the rust belt and moderate suburban Republicans are bound to dislike her.

Mmmk.  If anyone actually wants an opinion from a clearly moderate voter who has given his vote to the Democratic ticket in one of the past two Presidential elections, I find her very arrogant.  A lot of people said that about Hillary, but I felt Hillary's problem was more being "cold" and "aloof."  Harris is neither of those things, and to me she comes across as spitefully sticking up for "Democrats" against the "rest of the world."  If I were a Democratic partisan, I might really like her, but I'm not.  And I don't particularly find her likable, certainly less so than both Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton.

[tosk]

She never found any footing, and was losing in California to Yang before she dropped out. She also flip flopped on just about everything she could. She also did things like insinuate Biden was racist for opposing busing only to turn around and wilt on her own position. She ran an incompetent campaign as well. Honestly, as an incumbent VP she's a stronger candidate and I don't want to pretend it's an easy dunk for republicans but I'd much rather run against her than Biden in '24.

[Hope For A New Era]

Well, my main worry was that she would remind people of HRC in all the wrong ways.

Now that Hill has been vindicated by 2020, I'm actually a lot less worried.

[Kuumo]

Basically, she turns off both true leftists and midwestern moderates and doesn't really excite anyone outside of a small hardcore base concentrated in states that don't matter for the election. There's a reason she was a big flop in the primaries.

[lfromnj]

Basically, she turns off both true leftists and midwestern moderates and doesn't really excite anyone outside of a small hardcore base concentrated in states that don't matter for the election. There's a reason she was a big flop in the primaries.

She did excite middle class suburban Atlanta black voters IIRC atleast with the donation map.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

She got wrecked by Gabbard and had to drop out.

[Bomster]

Because the only 2 Demographics that matter; rural whites in the rust belt and moderate suburban Republicans are bound to dislike her.

Mmmk.  If anyone actually wants an opinion from a clearly moderate voter who has given his vote to the Democratic ticket in one of the past two Presidential elections, I find her very arrogant.  A lot of people said that about Hillary, but I felt Hillary's problem was more being "cold" and "aloof."  Harris is neither of those things, and to me she comes across as spitefully sticking up for "Democrats" against the "rest of the world."  If I were a Democratic partisan, I might really like her, but I'm not.  And I don't particularly find her likable, certainly less so than both Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton.

Even Democratic partisans don’t seem to like her.

[Mr. Smith]

Basically, she turns off both true leftists and midwestern moderates and doesn't really excite anyone outside of a small hardcore base concentrated in states that don't matter for the election. There's a reason she was a big flop in the primaries.

Didn't stop Biden. Failed two campaigns by much worse. He still got the No. 2...and that's literally he needed to pull through.

Now she's got that spot, and Dems be Dems.

[Pericles]

I don't have strong feelings about her, but I haven't seen much substance to her yet. What does she actually bring other than ticking the demographic boxes that Biden needed? Good politicians have the 'it' factor and I haven't seen 'it' with Harris. On the other hand, maybe she can change herself from a weak candidate to a strong candidate-Joe Biden got 1% in the 2008 Iowa caucuses after all.

[John Dule]

Who exactly does Harris appeal to? The left wing calls her a "cop" and she spooks the moderates because of her will-I-won't-I approach to issues like M4A. From what I can tell, her primary base is centered around people who want to appear woke and genuinely don't care about policy.

[ηєω ƒяσηтιєя]

Kamala tried to be in the middle of both the moderate and progressive lanes and that's why she ended up "flip-flopping" on certain issues. Also, many Democratic primary voters wanted someone firmly in one lane or the other.

Additionally, she is a Black woman and before the past few months, wasn't well-known nationally and that definitely hurt her chances. Finally, she never developed a proper response to some of the criticisms of her DA and AG record.

A VP Kamala will be a different story. Especially, if she has a more public role like Biden had under Obama and that seems to be the role that Biden wants for her. If the Biden presidency is decent to great by 2023 and Biden announces that he won't run for a 2nd term, Kamala will be in great shape to be elected POTUS.

[Da2017]

Kamala tried to be in the middle of both the moderate and progressive lanes and that's why she ended up "flip-flopping" on certain issues. Also, many Democratic primary voters wanted someone firmly in one lane or the other.

Additionally, she is a Black woman and before the past few months, wasn't well-known nationally and that definitely hurt her chances. Finally, she never developed a proper response to some of the criticisms of her DA and AG record.

A VP Kamala will be a different story. Especially, if she has a more public role like Biden had under Obama and that seems to be the role that Biden wants for her. If the Biden presidency is decent to great by 2023 and Biden announces that he won't run for a 2nd term, Kamala will be in great shape to be elected POTUS.

One of the best explanations as to why she had trouble gaining traction.

[TransfemmeGoreVidal]

Something tells me she won't be a particularly strong candidate or a shoe in in 2024 either, even as an incumbent VP. She might have a higher level of institutional support but I think a lot of her weaknesses in terms of not really appealing to any segment of the party will still be present.

[RJ]

I have little issue with Harris other than I thought her debate moment when she bereded Biden in a debate was grandstanding and it looked like she had rehearsed the moment and it wasn't authentic. I also think there's a few shady details about her past. Overall, I don't find these things and great reason to dislike her to the point of flat out hating her. Sure there are other candidates I like better but I can live with Harris.

Funny; think of all these controversial politicians: Kamala Harris, Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Rashida Talib, and Ayanna Pressley. What do they have in common? They're women, they aren't Caucasian, and they have non traditional names. Is it really a big surprise that a large contingency in this country doesn't like(or just flat out hates) any of these 5 and even finds them offensive?

[wbrocks67]

The racism and sexism in this thread is doing a LOT. Especially the notion that basically any woman candidate "would be another Hillary"

[TransfemmeGoreVidal]

I have little issue with Harris other than I thought her debate moment when she bereded Biden in a debate was grandstanding and it looked like she had rehearsed the moment and it wasn't authentic. I also think there's a few shady details about her past. Overall, I don't find these things and great reason to dislike her to the point of flat out hating her. Sure there are other candidates I like better but I can live with Harris.

Funny; think of all these controversial politicians: Kamala Harris, Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Rashida Talib, and Ayanna Pressley. What do they have in common? They're women, they aren't Caucasian, and they have non traditional names. Is it really a big surprise that a large contingency in this country doesn't like(or just flat out hates) any of these 5 and even finds them offensive?

I mean to be fair a lot of the people who like the squad hate Harris and many of those who hate Harris hate the fact that she weaponizes her identity to cover up a career spent upholding an institutionally racist system. Yes, maybe from some quarters she does come in for unfair criticism but personally I dislike her for the many of the same reasons I dislike Andrew Cuomo, Rahm Emanuel, Gavin Newsome, Michael Bloomberg, etc.

[Sir Mohamed]

Bad performance in a primary is hardly a reason why she would be a bad GE candidate after spending 4 years as VP. Biden also did poorly in his previous runs and turned out to be a strong nominee this year.

I don't think she would be weak in 2024, bit have some concerns abou connecting with WWC voters in the Midwest. Dems at least need to win 1 or 2 states of the Rust Belt battleground to get 270 EVs unless you're running the table in the Sunbelt. If things have improved by 2024, a Harris/Cooper ticket would be a good chance to retain WH control.

[Motorcity]

Why vote for her? Seriously, what's her appeal?

No one cares about making history. No one. This isn't 2008.

I would love to see a women President. One being a POC would be great.

But those are add ons. I want someone who will both make my life better AND win elections with white midwestern suburban voters.

I never understood her primary campaign. What was her platform? She, like Julian Castro, hoped that Democrats wanted to make history again like the three previous campaigns.

Her whole political career is based on the idea "that cool mixed senator from California, daughter of immigrants"

Than what? What would you do if elected?

[Bootes Void]

I guess is she isn't a bad candidate but I don't see what special about her.

[TransfemmeGoreVidal]

The racism and sexism in this thread is doing a LOT. Especially the notion that basically any woman candidate "would be another Hillary"

Nobody ing said "any women candidate." They said Harris. Jesus Christ

[RINO Tom]

Well, my main worry was that she would remind people of HRC in all the wrong ways.

Now that Hill has been vindicated by 2020, I'm actually a lot less worried.

Was she?  Just because Trump was a uniquely unlikable President who was unpopular?  Millions of his own 2016 voters who voted against Clinton knew that ... Biden was only elected because he won back the three crucial states that Clinton took for granted.  I would not say Clinton has been "vindicated," as it's pretty damn clear she could have beaten Trump in 2016 and let us avoid the last four years if she had simply run a better campaign that was more focused on winning and less focused on who she wanted the Democrats' voters to be.

The racism and sexism in this thread is doing a LOT. Especially the notion that basically any woman candidate "would be another Hillary"

GMAFB.  She's a grown adult who has taken several policy stances, and she will be judged for those stances and how she presents them.  If anything, your protection of her as anything less than someone whose record and words can stand for themselves is indicative of your belief that she needs such protection and is kind of racist and sexist in its own right.

[CookieDamage]

Yall have said this about more than one woman politician just saying. Either its "arrogant" "shrill" "unlikeable" etc

[prag_prog]

My problem with Kamala is that she doesn't come across as authentic..if ppl thought Hillary was fake,inauthentic etc, then I fear how Kamala is perceived. She also needs to be really sure and confident about any any stance she takes instead of flipflopping later on.

In that debate where she lost ground due to Tulsi's attacks, she really should have done a better job of rebutting those claims. Some of those Tulsi's attacks weren't even true but Kamala just didn't have any reply to refute those claims. I was surprised she didn't come prepared to debate on an important topic of career like that