The Democratic Party has wrapped its month-long summer stock review of “Julius Caesar” — Et tu, Nancy? — and a parade of upwardly mobile would-be candidates is rapidly lining up behind Vice President Kamala Harris. Everyone, it seems, loves a parade.
The nation and the party are in a nigh-unprecedented place. But for Harris, yet another veteran San Francisco politician in the national firmament, there is a strain of familiarity here.
She has been a fixture of public life since 2003, when she defeated incumbent Terrence Hallinan and Bill Fazio to become San Francisco’s district attorney. Like every “properly ambitious” politician, she has always sought “the next thing.” And she’s gotten it: Millions of voters in 2010 enabled her to escape the gravitational pull of San Francisco politics and ascend to California attorney general. Millions more in 2016 backed her to win Barbara Boxer’s old Senate seat, a race she clearly had “wired.”
In 2020, her own presidential bid fell short, but unprecedented numbers of voters went on to select the Biden-Harris ticket.
As ever, friends and foes alike are now highlighting her voluminous dossier — but, as ever, Harris has (almost) always succeeded and ascended not because of her record but, in many ways, in spite of it. It’s not necessarily Harris’ record that has won her election after election. It’s her ability to generate excitement and her appeal — she has “it.”
So, that’s familiar. And, once again — as in 2003, when she topped Hallinan and Fazio and in 2010, when she beat Steve Cooley — Harris finds herself pitted against a deeply flawed opponent. Things have changed. But this thing hasn’t.
And now, it’s far more than her own career that’s relying on it.
Many years ago, your humble narrator obtained a copy of a trove of opposition research amassed by one of Harris’ deeply flawed opponents. And it was massive; it was the size of an encyclopedia or phone book or any number of word-on-paper items that young people have never seen.
But there was nothing revelatory in there, not for anyone who’d bothered to pick up a newspaper (also a word-on-paper item increasingly seen as an anachronism). A highlight reel:
Her former romantic interest Willie Brown placing her on $95,000-a-year commissions and buoying her career; rampant ineptitude and dysfunction and cover-ups at the police DNA and crime labs; the San Francisco DA’s office inexplicably applying for — and receiving — millions of federal dollars earmarked for border counties it was forced to pay back; her initiative to cite the parents of truant children … and much, much more.
All of this happened, more or less. It feels a bit far-fetched to imagine GOP oppo researchers striking gold with arcana about Harris’ tenure as San Francisco district attorney a generation ago. But it is not hard to imagine salacious Republican broadsides involving her relationship with a powerful older patron like Brown — and Brown probably isn’t helping by jumping in front of a phalanx of cameras and microphones and holding impromptu press conferences on her behalf.
To borrow an apt passage from the movie “Anchorman”: “Take it easy, Champ. Why don’t you stop talking for a while? Maybe sit the next couple plays out.”
Over the next four months, Harris will likely suffer through the most toxic, misogynistic and racist campaign in American history. We can also anticipate stories of San Francisco chaos, filth and disorder, already a cable TV and online staple, to reach a whole new level.
That’s what we can expect from the Republican Party of Donald Trump. But Harris — or any Democrat — remains competitive, even after a month of nonstop Democratic circular firing squads. And that’s because, once again, Harris is facing a deeply flawed opponent. In fact, she is now facing two.
The selection of extremist and anti-abortion crusader Sen. J.D. Vance as the GOP’s vice-presidential candidate hits differently with Joe Biden out of the top slot; Vance has proposed essentially reconstituting the Fugitive Slave Act to punish women who travel out of state for an abortion. The erstwhile Republican talking point that age and erratic public behavior make one unfit to seek higher office has also boomeranged.
It’s always better to face flawed opponents exercising bad judgment than tough ones who make good decisions. And, unlike the post-George Floyd era in 2020 — when candidate Harris had to twist herself into a pretzel with the ludicrous claim that she was a “progressive prosecutor” — in 2024 candidate Harris can run as a truer version of herself.
In this campaign, her record may actually match her rhetoric.
On the eve of Harris’ easy 2016 Senate victory over Rep. Loretta Sanchez, polling revealed the former San Francisco DA’s most appealing features. She had created “a very vague, broad positive feeling” about herself; she had done a “decent-to-good job” as California AG, and she is a Democrat.
Sometimes, that’s all it takes. The forthcoming campaign does not figure to be a deeply intellectual or substantive exercise. It figures to be a wholly vibes-based election (which is something it feels like you could say about every election from here on out, along with “this is the most consequential election of our times”).
Watching the ongoing ascent of San Francisco politicos like Gov. Gavin Newsom and Harris — and, now, seeing Harris placed in the role as the last, best chance for ongoing American democracy — is, itself, a strange and terrible experience. It harks to the Jack Benny bit in which a robber tells him “your money or your life,” and he responds “I’m thinking, I’m thinking.”
But sometimes you don’t need to think too hard. “A very vague, broad positive feeling” isn’t an ideal campaign slogan; it’s probably too many words. But you could do worse. And you nearly always have.
It took overnight for me to feel hopeful again.
Ms. Harris is badass. Her email to supporters the night she won her senate seat, and Trump won the presidency, was such a light to my family, I’ll never forget it.
While my kids’ teachers were literally breaking down crying in front of their middle school classes the morning after, and they came out of school feeling just miserable, I read that email to my kids to let them know that at least one grown up in charge was going to fight for us from the first moment.
This will be my kids’ first time voting in a presidential election, same for all those locals born during the post Dot Com baby boom of 2002-2004. I finally have some hope that they will actually vote, since they were so ambivalent up until yesterday.
She’s not named Biden or Trump, which will mean a lot to a lot of people.
Somebody who knows how to keep her nose clean and the zipper up? You’d be hard pressed to find many of that type in the upper echelons of the Trump party, formerly known as the GOP. Predictably, they’re going to try project an image of themselves on the opponent. A yet to be nominated candidate Harris would have a field day with this, I’d love to see Trump and his posse p.ss in the wind like that.
Zipper up? LOL.
Biden appeared better in the polls than did Harris, but I’m skeptical how well the polls were able to capture the impact of low voter turnout. It’s better to win or lose with Harris.
Harris is 100% Female and will crush Trump !
I’ve dealt with her only one time and it was a real white-knuckle balls test as they used to say in the Fire House.
One of my former students (David Hill) was being defended by Public Defender Jeff Adachi himself against a charge of killing a heroic cop (Isaac Espinoza).
I had my blog even then (2k circulation 90% City workers) and lobbied Public Defender Harris to spare Hill’s life (Jeff said to his grave that Hill was innocent and took the lifetime fall for a senior gang member) …
I never had any direct contact with District Attorney Harris then or ever but she took the Death Penalty off the table and caught holy Hell for it but it was the Right thing to do.
Hennessey said that she did great work in one of the jobs Willie gave her working in the City Attorney’s Office I believe.
I remember what one of ‘da Mayor’s’ (Kamala coined that phrase and put it on a baseball cap she wore in a victory party I attended down at the Wharf which was crazy good cause she was such a fox and the band was Carlos Santana and you could stand 5 feet from all principals and sway to the vibes) …
Willie’s friends said:
“He finally stopped dating bimbos and has a Real and Powerful Complete Woman by his side.”
We all agreed and still do and now America get’s to hang out with her.
Best of luck from this Bernie Sanders supporter to the Next President of the United States of America …
Kamala Harris !!!
Go Niners !!
h.
Campers,
To salt this Election away now ?
Kamala should bring in Michelle Obama for Vice President.
That’ll drive the old Rednecks crazy !
lol
h.
I enjoyed reading this! I believe wholeheartedly that if she weren’t a woman and WOC there would not be this level of speculation (in the comments and elsewhere, not the article) and nitpicking of her past. Yea, this is part of the deal for the highest position in the land but I am motivated to limit my media diet due to the racism, misogyny and blatant lies about her career history as a prosecutor. Do people know what prosecutors actually do? Well, she did exactly that: her job. I was deeply concerned before Biden stepped down and am now elated. Yes, let’s get the orange man out but also, let’s continue the work to make our country better for ALL. Let’s go Kamala!
Kamala Harris is photogenic. No question about that. But that is a reason she
should be hiding in the attic in 2024 as Joe Biden was kept in the basement in 2020.
The Fourth Estate ( i.e. the press) should be aggressive in seeking her out to face
hard questions. Sooner or later, Ms. Harris has to face hard core inquiries about
her CV, as well as her proposed policies, many of which have been questioned by
competent economists, jurists, and fellow Democrats.
In short, Kamala Harris can run, but she can’t hide.
Her CV will be her demise.
And Trump’s?
Harris is NOT a progressive and is NOT responsible for the chaos on the city’s streets. That is important for voters to know nationally.
Trump is going to run using images from SF: the retail theft mobs; the open drug dealing.
We wouldn’t have that if we still had Harris as DA.
She’ll be a fine President.
Plus, as president, she could pardon the hundreds of black and latino kids that she, a self-admitted pot smoker, prosecuted for pot while SF DA [insert inappropriate cackle here]. Win-win!
California’s electoral votes will go to whichever self-serving, craven, sociopath is at the top of the democratic ticket. Because Californians will vote for literally anybody meeting that one criterion, any of our reservations, thoughts, criticisms, ideas about improving the lives of the US citizenry will have exactly 0 impact on whomever attains the presidency. It’s a waste of breath and time to talk about it except to say vote for Jill Stein instead, the only candidate who will end the genocide in Gaza carried out currently in our name as a full operational partner and funder. If you are a committed Dem, you can still vote for Stein knowing that the Dem candidate will still get all of California’s votes, but you also get to say (in a tiny, non-impactful way) that you don’t want to be treated with the open contempt the major party candidates universally show towards you. I am eating the same bowl of excrement as you are; I just won’t call it caviar. A very, very small consolation, I must depressingly add.
>> “I am eating the same bowl of excrement as you are; I just won’t call it caviar.”
If you’re voting for Vladimir Putin’s dinner guest in Jill Stein you can go ahead and call it Borscht or perhaps “Useful Idiot’s Daily Special.”
Giant Asteroid ’24!
An asteroid is a celestial object that orbits round and round, just like these statements are made of words that go round and round. An asteroid reaching the earth is like these words reaching your ears, the ears that you hear with, now, where you are, there. In conclusion, let us be unburdened by today’s dreams of tomorrow that we had yesterday!
The Dem grandees are going straight identity politics as they have nothing else. Unfortunately, this won’t be strictly a “vibes” election. Remember, before the debate, Joe Biden had record unpopularity — for good reason: he mishandled covid, he mishandled the economy, he blew immigration, under the rubric of protecting the climate, he gave the oil companies record profits and made the USA the biggest oil producer and exporter in the world. But it gets worse, and foreign policy is where Biden has put Kamala in a cage. The war against Russia in Ukraine has backfired: Russia not only withstood the sanctions but has become economically and militarily stronger. Rather than negotiate, Biden has escalated. It is a completely nutty, unnecessary and unpopular war that Trump and Vance will exploit unmercifully. Whereas Trump makes no sense when he opens his mouth, Vance is very articulate. And then there is Gaza, a political and moral collapse of biblical proportions, which has driven millions of potential voters (young and old alike) back to their couches for the election. And while the “vibes” are getting all the attention today, Biden sponsored (and we paid for) the slaughter and continues to do so. His attempts to reign in Israel, if serious, have made him look feeble, weak and foolish (remember the floating pier?). Kamala may not a have a record, but Biden does. She doesn’t have to defend it, but she probably will and when she does, her good looks and chirpy personality will do her about as much good as they did in the 2020 primaries when she had to speak to substance.
> Vance is very articulate…
He’s also a lot of other things too. None of which seem any good for anyone who isn’t a disgruntled MAGA person who stays up worrying about identity politics. One could say he was picked for his hillbilly identity but I’m not worried about it. Kamala is the sitting VP, what is JD Vance? Just another knee bender.
What good is being articulate if all you are saying is hateful opportunistic grievance? No good.
I mean belittling his position as a US Senator is also belittling part of her achievement as well.
You seem to be living in an entirely different country from me! Economy looks great from where I stand, especially retirement funds. I’m grateful for President Biden’s efforts at reducing student loan debt so young people can keep the money they earn. Not sure what you meant about oil companies, but it’s easy enough to google “Biden” + “Climate Initiatives.” It’s fairly astonishing how much he’s done in that area. He’s put pressure on Netanyahu to establish a permanent ceasefire, but I agree it’s not enough; I hope Kamala will do more. But unlike you I support him entirely when it comes to Ukraine: No way should we leave them at the mercy of Putin. Oh, and I’d sooner vote for a wet rug than Trump, but even so I’m DELIGHTED it’s going to be Kamala: She’s informed, articulate, and energetic, and she’s the right person to stand up for women’s reproductive rights.
>> “…Russia not only withstood the sanctions but has become economically and militarily stronger….”
For a commenter so certain that the 2024 race won’t be a “vibes election” – you seem pretty committed to only trafficking in vibes. Per Newsweek Russia has suffered 550,000 casualties in their war of aggression and it will take 5 years to recover those losses. That isn’t “stronger” by any rational definition but please continue to peddle your pretend “vibes” if they make you feel better.