Harris cannot be blamed for all of this. The last three Democratic presidents before Biden were relatively newcomers to Washington, who chose co-runners with more experience in Washington, D.C. — particularly with Congress — to the contrary. situation that Harris perceives. That experience allowed Vice Presidents Walter Mondale, Al Gore, and Joe Biden to become indispensable advisers in navigating Congress to Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama, respectively. No such move can survive between Harris and Biden because the President has nearly half a century of experience in Washington.
Harris’ struggles create a significant dilemma for Democrats as the 2024 election ends in three years. A lot can and will change between now and 2024, but there are also some certainties. Biden will be old enough that, at the very least, his health and age will be an important campaign issue even if his opponent is former President Donald Trump, who is only a few years younger.
None of this is new – Biden’s age is an issue in the 2020 primaries, and many understand that by nominating Harris as a candidate, he is choosing the face of the future. of the Democratic Party. It may or may not be the right decision, but the cost of reconsidering it is very high.
Fortunately, there is a way forward for Harris and the administration can help address this issue by supporting Harris and putting her in a position to succeed and create positive media: for giving Harris a vague portfolio covering tough issues like immigration, Biden should make the Vice President the most successful face of the administration to date – the infrastructure bill, which he signed into law on Monday.
The bill will lead to many new projects that bring investment and jobs across the country. Whenever something goes wrong with a new project, such as on bridges and highways in Michigan, rural broadband in Texas or Georgia, or faster Amtrak trains in the Northeast Corridor, Harris should have face and explain why it would benefit the community in question. The American people will begin to associate her not with borders or her lack of influence in the White House, but with achievements that are important to their communities.
Trips to the sites of these infrastructure projects will also help Harris appear in the local media, which remains important in various parts of the country. The interviews and media available during these trips will provide an opportunity for her to learn and explain about the projects in question and why it is good for the community or state in which she is located. he is visiting.
Traveling the country in this way will also give Harris the opportunity to build relationships with local Democratic Party organizations and the people in those organizations, at the state level, who are extremely important. in the primary elections. Some of these visits will involve fundraising for state parties, which will further strengthen the relationship between Harris and local Democratic Party organizations.
