In the ongoing whirlwind of political theater, former Vice President Kamala Harris has waltzed back into the limelight, once again taking aim at President Trump. It seems she can’t help herself when it comes to criticizing the former commander-in-chief. Her hyperbolic delivery paints a dire picture of an administration; she claims is forsaking America’s noble ideals for self-interest and favoring loyalty over truth. Harris’s rhetoric is marking stained with a sense of urgency and, let’s be honest, more than a hint of resentment.
But, in a twist worthy of a daytime drama, it isn’t just Harris sounding off this week. The Minnesota Governor Tim Walz tossed his hat into the circus ring, explaining why Harris had chosen him as a running mate. Apparently, Walz believes his ability to “code talk to white guys” and put them at ease played a part in the vice-presidential dance card. One can’t help but chuckle at the sheer lack of self-awareness—it’s almost as if he’s auditioning for a part in a forgotten 90s sitcom about clumsy pandering.
The Democrats seem to be wandering in a daze, still trying to find their footing after Harris and Biden’s run. There’s a noteworthy absence of leadership, receding in the party post-election. Like a ship without a captain, they’re sending mixed signals, trying to energize their base by stirring up discord. If the party thinks wrapping every conversation in racial scripts will rally their troops, they might want to rethink their strategy. It’s come to the point where they’re attempting to educate Americans by schooling them on what’s been termed “the only value”—skin color, playing right into the identity politics that countless Americans have grown tired of.
Former President Obama’s remarks seem to walk a similar line, suggesting cultural and gender biases in voting dynamics. Only in today’s disjointed Democratic scape could there be the audacity to suggest that not voting Harris back in was some kind of gender-based conspiracy. The former president’s admonishment against certain masculinities, as if he were talking to cavemen making fire for the first time, really hits the nail on the head. Of course, if his comments were supposed to be motivational, they were less than well-received—just about as popular as a vegan barbecue in Texas.
Amidst this carousel of colorful commentaries, Harris delivered a classic word salad about elephants in San Diego—an odd metaphor for unity in crisis. It’s nice she’s got the animals of the zoo in check, but perhaps she should focus on more pressing issues affecting Americans, like the economy. One can’t help but think Harris is better at talking about elephants than eradicating national debt. She might find more success if she circled back to California and stuck to local matters. There’s a desperate need for the Democrats to ground their discussions on real policies rather than poetic ramblings on pachyderm unity. For now, Harris remains more of a recognizable figurehead than a policy powerhouse, and her attempts at rallying the troops might be leading nowhere but back to the jungle gym.
