She spoke dismissively to Astead about “lovely speeches” and “fancy speeches,” contrasting them with her emphasis on “actually doing the work.” As Elaina Plott Calabro wrote in The Atlantic, “A consistent theme of Harris’s career has been her struggle to tell her own story — to define herself and her political vision for voters in clear, memorable terms.”
Harris has several options for doing so. She could, as most eventual presidents do, signal to swing voters that she is more moderate than her party. Harris’s history as a prosecutor, for instance, could allow her to address voters’ concerns about crime and immigration. Instead, she has distanced herself from her own record — while also failing to embrace a clearly progressive image.
Who is she, and what does she believe? Even Democrats who want to like her often aren’t sure.
Harris seems to view these questions as superficial and separate from the serious business of governing. But most voters don’t follow the minutia of politics and policy. They look for leaders who can express a set of values and priorities — sometimes, yes, through lovely speeches — that resonate with their own lives.
Harris has made it very far in politics without quite having done so. But her chances of taking the final step would significantly increase if she tried to meet voters where they were.
