OPINION:
Kamala Harris is a historic presidential candidate. She’s the first major-party nominee to earn the nomination without first having a single unscripted conversation with the press or public since President Biden withdrew. Apparently, she was anointed the Democratic Party’s leader on some sort of Zoom call over the weekend.
Left-aligned media commentators who prattle about “saving democracy” conspicuously ignored the lack of voter participation in the vice president’s elevation to presidential nominee. The Democratic Party faithful were never offered an opportunity to weigh her policies and record of achievement against other viable contenders, or provide any input at all.
Over the next 90 or so days, Ms. Harris is likely to continue the low-profile strategy. After all, it worked for Mr. Biden. The president secured his position while hiding in a basement under the cover of COVID. He ducked traditional, open-ended speaking events that might have shed light on where he stood on the issues.
Democratic strategists realized policy discussions just get in the way of the exercise of power. Rather than stoop to asking for the support of the rabble, the Democratic elite know they can count on corporate-owned media outlets, Big Tech censorship and millions of uninvited foreigners to hand them victory in November.
Allowing Ms. Harris to speak could undermine the plan. We had a glimpse of that on Friday, when the vice president was given a few seconds in the spotlight while standing next to Mr. Biden at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
“This is an extraordinary testament to the importance of having a president who understands the power of diplomacy and understands the strength that rests in understanding the significance of diplomacy and strengthening alliances,” she said.
Few people have the gift of saying nothing in so many words. Her newfound popularity wouldn’t last if she had to explain her positions without a teleprompter.
That’s why Ms. Harris mustered single-digit support in her bid for the nomination four years ago. Mr. Biden asked her to join his administration only because he was out to fill a quota. “I commit that I will, in fact, appoint a — pick a — woman to be vice president,” he said in a Democratic primary debate. Mr. Biden further limited his options to Black women.
Even the people closest to Ms. Harris aren’t fans. The group Open the Books reviewed payroll records to find 43 of 47 people who worked on her vice presidential staff bolted for the exit within three years. Her habit of creating hostile work environments stretches back to her days as California’s top prosecutor, where she reportedly ordered everyone to address her as “General” while standing at attention.
No wonder party strategists are desperate to keep her from talking — especially about her track record. As vice president, she has failed too secure the border. As a senator, she failed to pass a single bill into law.
That’s fortunate, considering her legislative ideas were extreme. She introduced bills imposing federal rent control, sticking warning labels on every product and prohibiting Federal Reserve banks from appointing leaders without first meeting an interview quota of “at least one individual reflective of gender diversity and one reflective of racial or ethnic diversity.”
With the world on the brink of war and our economy on the brink of recession, Americans deserve to hear directly from the candidates what they intend to do about it. The public shouldn’t allow corporate media outlets and Zoom calls to make the choice for them.
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