Symptoms of a concussion often include headaches, nausea, and confusion.
Interestingly, these are also the kinds of risks that might come up when watching former Vice President Kamala Harris during her recent appearance on Stephen Colbert’s show. She was there to promote her upcoming memoir, “107 Days,” and it seems she didn’t do much to help her public image amid her bid for president.
The nearly 30-minute chat seemed more focused on emphasizing what a privilege it is to vote for her. It’s hard to tell if her communication skills have declined or if the overall atmosphere has just made it tougher for her to connect. Harris speaks slowly, and there’s a noticeable lack of clarity. In fact, she seemed to struggle almost immediately in the conversation. As the interview dragged on, the ratio of laughter to jokes felt wildly off balance.
The most entertaining moments seemed to come from Harris herself while she was trying to relate to the average person. After the election, she mentioned taking “months” away from the news, admitting, “I, um, I’m not into self-transmitting… there are a lot of cooking shows. Bake-off in the UK, etc.” Cooking, it appears, is a comfort zone for her.
Colbert eventually shifted gears, asking about her husband, Doug. “How’s he doing?” he inquired. She smiled and replied that he was doing well. However, she later suggested that all was not perfect in their world. “There’s a lot of personal stuff in the book,” she disclosed, hinting at some challenges, humorously noting, “Poor Dougie.” She added how her birthday is coming up in October, right before the election in November, and that he “dropped the ball” on her celebration.
Colbert speculated about whether Doug didn’t come through for her, to which she responded, “Yeah, you have to read the book.” This seemed to put her priorities somewhat in focus, yet she was more forthcoming on security matters during the interview.
Trying to explain her approach, Harris fumbled with her words, leading to some awkward moments. Colbert, while praising her, seized an opportunity to introduce a hint of conflict by asking if she would do anything differently during her presidential campaign. She paused, offering a vague reply about sometimes wanting to re-do things.
Colbert, being his usual self, chimed in, “Read the book. I know, we’re all going to read it.” His tone suggested a level of dissatisfaction as he continued probing about her relationship with former President Biden, but she adeptly sidestepped those questions.
Reflecting on Biden, she noted the importance of integrity and implied that his decisions were, well, his decisions. When asked if she’d been prepared, she acknowledged that many had tried to help, but it ultimately came down to Biden’s choices. The conversation continued to circle back to Biden, creating a somewhat bewildering atmosphere.
Colbert posed a challenging question about why she couldn’t seem to separate herself from Biden during her campaign. Harris responded vaguely again, referencing insights from her book that she thinks take far longer to unpack than expected. However, Colbert appeared skeptical of her evasiveness, asking the audience if they were in any hurry to hear more.
At least for all the missteps in her campaign, Harris has avoided certain other platforms, like the Joe Rogan Experience. A prolonged conversation there could have been even trickier for her to navigate given the complexities of her current situation.
