Why would anyone not want Kamala Harris to become President?

[Born to Slay. Forced to Work.]

If Kamala Harris was a white man named Kyle Harris from Wisconsin but had the exact same record she wouldn’t be controversial, she would be largely forgettable.

[💥💥 brandon bro (he/him/his)]

and if she ever gets the nomination for President I'm sure she'd do about-replacement-level.

Kamala might be slightly below replacement-level (aside from some form of institutional/incumbency advantage?) but even if you treat her as identical to replacement level D... that's still taking a pretty big risk of a loss.

Ok, that's fair. You're right, Ds can do better than replacement-level. My annoyance is mainly at people relying on vibes-based analyses like "she talks badly!" and "she's not good at politics". But no, she would not be a great candidate at all and has done a lot of nasty stuff in her career.

That's fine. I'm skeptical of her as a GE candidate still but I actually have enjoyed the couple of interviews I've heard with her. But also, I'm a hyper-educated progressive. Of course she's going to approve to me! I'm still open but she hasn't done much to demonstrate that she'd be a viable in a GE.

If Kamala Harris was a white man named Kyle Harris from Wisconsin but had the exact same record she wouldn’t be controversial, she would be largely forgettable.

These counterfactuals always get thrown out there but how true is this?

The last couple VPs were Pence (unpopular with MAGA post J6, zero traction in the 2023 primaries, outperformed by Nikki Haley), Biden (literally passed over in favor of a more popular woman from Obama's cabinet), and Cheney (one of the least popular politicians of the century so far). Even Al Gore got a ton of fem-coded critiques - boring, not a great public speaker, nagged people about climate change. Seems silly to act like white men VPs just coast on popularity - recent evidence does not support this at all!

Also, "forgettable" is exactly one of the major critiques of Harris! She's been entirely forgettable in her role as VP!

[bagelman]

The idea of President Harris represents an incredibly wasted potential when we have so many better Americans who could not only be a better President, but also be the first women of color to be President. She's obviously better than Trump but she's just an incredibly underwhelming figure and her strongest supporters online are the most revolting sort of condescending out of touch sheltered liberal. This latter point is a huge red flag for me.

[Devils30]

The idea of President Harris represents an incredibly wasted potential when we have so many better Americans who could not only be a better President, but also be the first women of color to be President. She's obviously better than Trump but she's just an incredibly underwhelming figure and her strongest supporters online are the most revolting sort of condescending out of touch sheltered liberal. This latter point is a huge red flag for me.

The way she presents herself is just not what you want in a President. Listen to a Whitmer speech and you see that chief executive vibe. Harris comes off as a whiny non-profit executive and not the leader America needs.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

I have already endorsed Newsom/Alsobrooks, Biden weakness in the polls is attributed to Harris, not Biden himself, but she is leading him in primary polls without Newsom announcement yet

Newsom already said and he is my Gov that he isn't challenging Biden in 24 but he has no qualms about going against Harris in 28 he will announce soon after Biden is reelected

We shouldn't be worried about Harris anymore she is gonna be a Lame Dick Veep soon and Newsom and Steph Curry whom Warriors aren't winning another title may challenge Harris.

Biden and Harris are Lame Ducks anyways because you can be reelected 1* for Prez and Veep anyways


Users are so worried about a Lame Duck Veep

[Donald Trump’s Toupée]

Joe Biden’s first decision was picking his running mate, and he even botched that! He’s stuck with her, too.

[GeneralMacArthur]

You guys don't want to hear me say it, but the Kamala Harris hate started once it was clear she was going to run against Bernie Sanders for the 2020 Democratic nomination, and the hyper-aggressive online smear campaign began in earnest.  Before 2018 I don't think anyone had a problem with her and she was fairly popular.

[Landslide Lyndon]

Joe Biden’s first decision was picking his running mate, and he even botched that!

He won the election, so by definition you're wrong.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Obama selected Harris not Biden remember on the campaign trail Obama said elect Harris and Biden. In 28 we gonna have a competitive D primary for Prez, Harris is better than Veep Pence , but she won't have to debate Pence for Prez in 28, she will have to debate Newsom, as I said before and I support Newsom over Harris in 28

Like all Veeps they are gonna have a challenge getting elected on their own right

It was gonna be Klobuchar or Harris and Klobuchar opted out of Veepstakes in 20 and wanted to stay in S

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Remember Obama told Biden to select Harris instead of Susan Rice

[Yellowhammer]

There is no good reason for anyone anywhere on the political spectrum to want her to become president (besides accelerationist reasons, or perhaps the comedic aspect of the prospect).

[Oregon Eagle Politics]

Joe Biden’s first decision was picking his running mate, and he even botched that!

He won the election, so by definition you're wrong.

Bush won 2x with Cheney as his veep, doesn't mean that was the "correct" decision for either the GOP or America as a whole.

[darklordoftech]

I'm more worried about the next Democratic President being yet another candidate who thinks marijuana should remain illegal than I am about Harris becoming President.

[Landslide Lyndon]

Joe Biden’s first decision was picking his running mate, and he even botched that!

He won the election, so by definition you're wrong.

Bush won 2x with Cheney as his veep, doesn't mean that was the "correct" decision for either the GOP or America as a whole.

Whether a VP is good for the country is a secondary, if at all, consideration for a presidential nominee.

[Oregon Eagle Politics]

Sexism and racism.

The simple and obvious answer. I sometimes doubt this country will ever have a woman president and if we get one via succession she won't win the general election.

I remember thirty years ago a Greek journalist who lived many years in the US was talking about a possible Colin Powell candidacy. He said that Americans will definitely one day elect a black president but will never elect a female president, because that's who they are.

at this point im inclined to agree. I don;t think we will ever have a female president. if Hillary Clinton couldn't win no woman can.

Why? Does Hillary Clinton have some sort of superpower that other women don’t have?

Women have been elected to leadership positions in every role in this country.  Therefore I see no reason why a woman couldn’t become president.

Yet it still hasn't happened. She was one of the most qualified people ever to run and she lost. I think there are many people who don't want a woman as president.

Experience hurt her, not helped her, as Trump painted her as an establishment swamp creature and outflanked her on FP. Voters don't care if a candidate is experienced, especially when record numbers of Americans are disaffected in the political 2-party system.

People also thought America would never elect a Black President, but it happened. Obama had only 2 years of experience in the federal government when he launched his campaign, yet still won because he was the perceived change candidate against a much more experienced McCain.

[gerritcole]

the phrasing of this question is rather dictatorial lmao, why shouldnt comrade Xi lead us all or why shoouldnt czar vlad pootin keep being in charge?? in a democracy/republic, the case is to be made why you want to lead not the reverse

[VBM]

Biden should have kept his mouth shut and not publicly announce that he was only gonna pick a black female to be his VP. If he hadn’t done it, there obviously still would be right wing pundits saying Kamala is a DEI hire, but it’s obviously a lot easier to convince people that she is a DEI hire when Biden literally stated that being a black female was the most important criteria for becoming his VP. Biden undersold the legitimacy of his VP in a desperate attempt to pander to black Democrats in the primaries

[Landslide Lyndon]

Biden should have kept his mouth shut and not publicly announce that he was only gonna pick a black female to be his VP. If he hadn’t done it, there obviously still would be right wing pundits saying Kamala is a DEI hire, but it’s obviously a lot easier to convince people that she is a DEI hire when Biden literally stated that being a black female was the most important criteria for becoming his VP. Biden undersold the legitimacy of his VP in a desperate attempt to pander to black Democrats in the primaries

Wow! If not for the red avatar this could have easily been a Redban or Del Tachi post.

And by the way, he never announced that he was going to pick only a black woman.

[VBM]

Biden should have kept his mouth shut and not publicly announce that he was only gonna pick a black female to be his VP. If he hadn’t done it, there obviously still would be right wing pundits saying Kamala is a DEI hire, but it’s obviously a lot easier to convince people that she is a DEI hire when Biden literally stated that being a black female was the most important criteria for becoming his VP. Biden undersold the legitimacy of his VP in a desperate attempt to pander to black Democrats in the primaries

Wow! If not for the red avatar this could have easily been a Redban or Del Tachi post.

And by the way, he never announced that he was going to pick only a black woman.

I’m not saying that Kamala was unqualified though? I’m saying that Biden putting so much importance on the gender and ethnicity of his VP pick was terrible optics because it made it look like she was an unqualified diversity hire

[Landslide Lyndon]

Biden should have kept his mouth shut and not publicly announce that he was only gonna pick a black female to be his VP. If he hadn’t done it, there obviously still would be right wing pundits saying Kamala is a DEI hire, but it’s obviously a lot easier to convince people that she is a DEI hire when Biden literally stated that being a black female was the most important criteria for becoming his VP. Biden undersold the legitimacy of his VP in a desperate attempt to pander to black Democrats in the primaries

Wow! If not for the red avatar this could have easily been a Redban or Del Tachi post.

And by the way, he never announced that he was going to pick only a black woman.

I’m not saying that Kamala was unqualified though? I’m saying that Biden putting so much importance on the gender and ethnicity of his VP pick was terrible optics because it made it look like she was an unqualified diversity hire

You got to pick a side guys. Hillary was bad because she was overqualified, Kamala is bad because she is underqualified.
Apparently only men have the right amount of qualifications.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

She is the leading candidate for D Nomination for Prez in 28 until Newsom announces and Obama told Biden to select Harris instead of Susan Rice in 20

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

The ironic thing is that if Newsom is the Prez nominee 28 he would be pressed to pick Sen Alsobrooks and Harris would be pressed to pick Moore whom are NATL figures now

[VBM]

Biden should have kept his mouth shut and not publicly announce that he was only gonna pick a black female to be his VP. If he hadn’t done it, there obviously still would be right wing pundits saying Kamala is a DEI hire, but it’s obviously a lot easier to convince people that she is a DEI hire when Biden literally stated that being a black female was the most important criteria for becoming his VP. Biden undersold the legitimacy of his VP in a desperate attempt to pander to black Democrats in the primaries

Wow! If not for the red avatar this could have easily been a Redban or Del Tachi post.

And by the way, he never announced that he was going to pick only a black woman.

I’m not saying that Kamala was unqualified though? I’m saying that Biden putting so much importance on the gender and ethnicity of his VP pick was terrible optics because it made it look like she was an unqualified diversity hire

You got to pick a side guys. Hillary was bad because she was overqualified, Kamala is bad because she is underqualified.
Apparently only men have the right amount of qualifications.

When did I say Hillary was bad because she was overqualified???

[SInNYC]

I dont want her to be president because I think she is dumb. She can never explain why she has a position she claims to have, laughs off anything she hasnt memorized a line on, and her 2020 campaign showed a glaring lack of knowledge of the issues.

And before you attribute this to sexism, I also felt that John Edwards was an empty suit. Quayle was universally acclaimed as dumb, though he had a deer in headlights look instead of laughter to cover up his lack of knowledge. And Hillary was certainly knowledgable (though I would have traded off some wisdom for less knowledge any day).

[randomusername]

Biden should have kept his mouth shut and not publicly announce that he was only gonna pick a black female to be his VP. If he hadn’t done it, there obviously still would be right wing pundits saying Kamala is a DEI hire, but it’s obviously a lot easier to convince people that she is a DEI hire when Biden literally stated that being a black female was the most important criteria for becoming his VP. Biden undersold the legitimacy of his VP in a desperate attempt to pander to black Democrats in the primaries

He didn't say that though and got a lot of flack for it in by the black community. He only committed to a woman and he did explicitly say he'd nominate a black woman to the Supreme Court.