Well, it looks like Vice President Kamala Harris has finally came out of hiding, but it looks like it was another crash and burn.
NBC News’ chief political analyst Chuck Todd has taken Harris to task for her puzzling decision to avoid the spotlight for nearly 40 days into her presidential campaign. Now, she’s had her first big interview with CNN’s Dana Bash, but according to Todd, this is already shaping up to be a misstep.
In a piece on NBC News’ website, Todd didn’t mince words, calling it a “mistake” that Harris has been laying low for so long. The delay, he argues, has only “raised the stakes” for this interview, turning what could have been a routine media appearance into a high-pressure event where every word will continue to be scrutinized. And let’s face it, Harris isn’t exactly known for handling high-pressure moments with grace.
Todd suggested that Harris should take a page from Donald Trump’s 2016 playbook—you know, back when Trump was a media whirlwind, doing interviews with everyone from left to right, friendly or not. Trump’s strategy of flooding the airwaves diluted the impact of any single interview, making it harder for anyone mistake to stick. But Harris, by keeping her head down for over a month, has done the exact opposite. Now, as Todd points out, “any fumble is going to get overly scrutinized,” and the pressure is on.
But here may be why. Just watch this nonsense and keep an eye on Walz in the background:
Kamala Harris goes full kindergarten teacher mode while explaining what “teamwork” means to a group of high schoolers. Painful to watch. pic.twitter.com/QTHhD8gyvk
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) August 28, 2024
Harris has been dodging the media while her campaign has been spinning her sudden shifts on key issues like fracking, border security, and private health insurance—issues she had taken more progressive stances on back in 2019. With Biden out of the race and Harris stepping into the spotlight, there’s no hiding from the questions that will inevitably come her way.
Or is there…
BREAKING REPORT: @CNN had 41 MINUTES of Kamala Harris’ and Tim Walz’s joint interview and only released 18 minutes.
One of the edited segments is reportedly about the Green New Deal and fracking.
Only one way for us to know: RELEASE the unedited video and the FULL TRANSCRIPT! pic.twitter.com/WdB37ELsCE
— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) August 30, 2024
And let’s not forget her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. He’s got his own baggage to unpack, including controversies around his military service record and the left-wing policies he pushed as governor. It’s safe to say this joint interview wasn’t a walk in the park for either of them as much as CNN tried to make it so.
I cannot believe this answer LOL
pic.twitter.com/dNPNukEjnq— aka (@akafacehots) August 30, 2024
Todd’s point is clear: Harris and her campaign are playing right into the hands of her critics. By avoiding the media for so long, they’ve only heightened the expectations and increased the likelihood that any misstep in this interview will be magnified. And with Harris’ history of stumbling over tough questions, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Scott Jennings is lighting up this CNN clown car panel right now.
JENNINGS: She took no responsibility for saying Biden was fine, that he was strong. Nobody believes that.
PANEL MEMBER: “I do.”
JENNINGS: “Then why isn’t he running?” pic.twitter.com/Z45WgumKTm
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 30, 2024
So, as Harris and Walz prepare to face the music, one has to wonder—will they rise to the occasion, or will this be just another chapter in the long saga of a campaign that seems to trip over its own feet at every turn? Whatever happens, you can bet the critics—and the voters—will be watching closely.
