Harris's weakness is, to a large extent, Biden's fault. To be effective, and burnish one's presidential credentials, a Veep must be given a portfolio that sets them up for success. Obama did that for Biden, even if he did end up going with Hillary in 2016. And Biden, to his credit, also grabbed the ball, which Harris hasn't. But you can't give your Veep an impossible assignment like, "Cure the Immigration Crisis" and expect them to succeed and burnish their presidential credentials.
And a veep must be allowed - even directed - to say stuff that the president can't say, but wants to say, in the furtherance of policy. For example, Biden was able to push the ball forward on marriage equality, by speaking in favor of it, when Obama felt politically constrained from doing so. Harris has been given no such assignment. She is finally being cut loose to talk about women's health - which in fairness she has done before, but not in the spotlight. Being cut loose on the campaign trail is better than nothing, but this should have started three years ago.
Harris's weakness is, to a large extent, Biden's fault. To be effective, and burnish one's presidential credentials, a Veep must be given a portfolio that sets them up for success. Obama did that for Biden, even if he did end up going with Hillary in 2016. And Biden, to his credit, also grabbed the ball, which Harris hasn't. But you can't give your Veep an impossible assignment like, "Cure the Immigration Crisis" and expect them to succeed and burnish their presidential credentials.
And a veep must be allowed - even directed - to say stuff that the president can't say, but wants to say, in the furtherance of policy. For example, Biden was able to push the ball forward on marriage equality, by speaking in favor of it, when Obama felt politically constrained from doing so. Harris has been given no such assignment. She is finally being cut loose to talk about women's health - which in fairness she has done before, but not in the spotlight. Being cut loose on the campaign trail is better than nothing, but this should have started three years ago.
“He looks and sounds exactly as he did in 2016.”
Look, I try to avoid seeing or hearing him too, but this is absurd verging on hallucinatory.
We've had worse people in office (January 20, 2017 – January 20, 2021)