Kamala Harris’s Book and the Recklessness of Political Decisions

It was only a matter of time, but former Vice President Kamala Harris has released her book. Whether it’s a way to gloss over her past decisions is up for debate, though it seems to follow a familiar pattern.

In the book, she brings up a point that many Americans can likely agree on, regardless of political leaning. She describes “recklessness” as a factor that allowed Joe Biden to pursue reelection. If the elderly president had succeeded, it might have been a reckless move for both the Democrats and the nation.

However, Biden was permitted to stay in the race for quite a while. Is Harris really observing the situation closely? It seems not.

First off, Harris herself has made questionable choices. She was aware of Biden’s actual condition.

You could argue that she was somewhat trapped in her role. After all, she chose to ally herself with Biden as his running mate in 2020, and loyalty comes with its own set of expectations.

Yet, she also had aspirations of being president herself. Those dreams necessitated dialogue with Biden and the White House, perhaps even publicly. She seems to dive in headfirst, which might paradoxically undermine her chances of ever achieving that dream.

But she wasn’t alone in this recklessness. The mainstream media played a role as well. Many knew the risks, yet little was said. A lot of people remained quiet when they should have spoken up.

In hindsight, Jake Tapper from legacy media felt the need to write a book of his own—to maybe gloss over the past in a roundabout way. Yet both he and Dana Bash continue to appear on CNN, where their audience seems more inclined toward misinformation than solid journalism.

Not many congressional members had direct contact with Biden in his later years, as his staff kept him sheltered. While they share some guilt for their inaction, it’s hard to absolve them completely since Biden often seems lost, exhibiting public embarrassment.

Democratic leaders like Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakem Jeffries were aware of the reality but chose to ignore it. Whatever private discussions they had with Biden weren’t enough; action was needed, but they failed to provide it.

Texas Democrat Lloyd Doggett opposed initial reckless moves, suggesting that the parties haven’t really learned from past experiences.

The majority of blame could fall on individuals like Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, who perhaps could have urged Biden to step aside early, giving the Democrats a better chance against Trump. Their inability to intervene is significant.

Clinton and Obama, despite their affiliations, didn’t seem motivated to persuade Biden—often seen as stubborn—to leave the stage.

Moreover, through intermediaries such as David Axelrod, they may have influenced major Democratic donors to withdraw support from Biden.

Biden likely sensed this, and it wouldn’t have gone over well. Faced with such realities, he might have reacted emotionally, leading to his exit.

In all of this, Clinton and Obama hold considerable responsibility. In a landscape filled with reckless choices, their actions, or lack thereof, are particularly noteworthy. Democrats might want to reflect on this moving forward.