Staff Reports
Kamala Harris finds herself precariously perched on the tightrope of a political circus, expertly wobbling between the unpopular President Joe Biden and her burgeoning desire to distance herself from him. Recently, she faced tough questioning on The View, where, in an awkward pause reminiscent of a stage fright episode, she managed to declare that she couldn’t think of anything she would do differently from Biden. This statement raises eyebrows, especially since she claims to have been an integral part of most of his decisions. It’s hard to ignore the irony that while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was prepping for a hurricane, Harris decided to take a swipe at him for not taking her call—just a day before Biden praised DeSantis’s emergency response. One has to wonder how well that strategy is paying off.
Harris’s attempts to secure her future as a presidential candidate have her crisscrossing between loyalty to Biden and a desperate need for a different identity. Historically, whenever a sitting vice president has tried to succeed their president, there’s been some underlying tension between the two. From Richard Nixon and Dwight Eisenhower’s contentious relationship, complete with television dramas, to Hubert Humphrey feeling the sting of Lyndon Johnson’s passive-aggressive moves, Harris’s predicament feels like déjà vu. However, unlike those former vice presidents, Harris might just have the most significant uphill battle ahead of her. After all, who wouldn’t want to distance themselves from the current resident of the White House?
Running for president is hard, there can be only 1 at a time. Being the VP makes it harder, you are tied to your president for better or worse. Add to this …
Uphill battle: The challenge of vice presidents running to replace their bosses https://t.co/OHqHP73gg8 via @dcexaminer
— Sorgatoni (@Sorghaghtani) October 27, 2024
Taking a look back, the Nixon-Eisenhower relation wasn’t exactly a loving one, either. Despite being Eisenhower’s “boy,” Nixon’s lack of accomplishments led to further strain, culminating in a failed attempt to rally Eisenhower’s support when he ran against John F. Kennedy. Fast forward to the 1968 election, where Johnson’s vice president, Humphrey, faced an equally challenging dilemma. Johnson’s administration was drowning in controversy, and Humphrey had to toe the line while simultaneously trying to present a different vision. Spoiler alert: it didn’t work, and Nixon cruised to victory.
Then came George H.W. Bush, who, unlike his predecessors, managed to navigate a successful transition after serving under Reagan. Although their relationship was not without its bumps—hello, “kinder, gentler nation” comment—Bush benefitted from Reagan’s popularity when he ran in 1988. Contrast that with the current situation; the Biden administration’s unpopularity is becoming a runaway freight train, and Harris isn’t even attempting to hitch herself to it for her own campaign glory. The risks she faces are amplified by the fact that her very presence may alienate voters who are less than enthused about the current administration’s performance.
Today’s landscape is rapidly diverging from the cozy alliances of past vice presidents and their presidents. Harris’s long and complicated history with Biden—where she once called him out for his previous stances on race and busing—adds an extra layer of complexity. Now, she walks a tightrope, claiming to be a major player in the Biden administration while simultaneously trying to inject a bit of distance to appease a disillusioned electorate. Her policies, which mirror Biden’s unpopular positions, are trailing behind in public opinion polls, meaning Harris will have to do some serious navigational gymnastics if she hopes to make it to the other side of the political divide.
In order to tread this treacherous terrain, she would do well to adopt a more definitive stance. The lack of commitment to campaign alongside Biden suggests that she may be practicing for a Houdini act of her own, slipping away from his shadow while also ensuring she can claim all the successes—or at least avoid the disastrous failures—of his administration. If historical patterns hold true, this unsynchronized balancing act could very well lead to a loss in the upcoming election. In the political circus that is the Harris-Biden dynamic, it is sure to be a thrilling spectacle, but whether it ends with applause or a collective gasp remains to be seen.
