Goldberg: She can lean on what killed her in the 2020 primary: Harris is a cop.
Polverde: Her views on the issues that matter most are in line with those of most Americans, which is already in stark contrast to Trump’s. She has to remind people that she is a moderate, mainstream Democrat, as are nearly all Black Democrats of her generation. In the 2020 primaries, she was attacked quite effectively from the left. It was fortunate that she ran for president in the only cycle in which her greatest appeal became a liability. Now it is no longer a liability.
Healthy: What do you think Harris should do, Lydia?
Polverde: Biden should play to his strengths — a sensible law and order — and choose a strong, complementary running mate. He should stick to the core principles that have worked for him so far: abortion and defending democratic governance against right-wing extremists. I suspect he will signal a more deft handling of Israel and Gaza, even if the policy doesn’t change much. That will also help — not so much with people on the left, who seem to have already fallen from the coconut tree, but with voters across the Democratic spectrum who have been rightly appalled by the Biden team’s apparent insensitivity to Palestinian life.
French: Part of the reason Harris did so poorly in 2019 was the strange ideological environment. The party, especially white Democrats, leaned hard to the left, especially on criminal justice issues, and that’s not a good fit for someone whose biography revolves around a career in law enforcement. As Michelle points out, she lost the benefit of her best selling point: Harris is a cop. Now she can present herself as a cop instead of a criminal.
Healthy: But would the Democratic left really accept that police message?
French: There is much less pressure to veer left now. If anything, the environment is ripe for her to emphasize her past as a prosecutor. Ross is absolutely right. Her best move is to offer a kind of solid centrism to contrast with Trump’s berserker persona. Even if Trump puts the Heritage Foundation and the pro-life movement to shame, he still has his raging temper and just can’t let go of his grievances. She has a chance to present herself as the adult in the room.
Healthy: The Democratic convention begins in four weeks. Is the Democratic Party better off (i.e. better positioned to defeat Trump) by quickly rallying around Harris or by opting for another path: a mini-primary, a contested convention now that Biden has announced his delegates, or something else?
