Fortresses and Earthworks
13th September 2024
Six months ago Kamala Harris was the butt of a joke in American politics. Disliked and distrusted by the US electorate, and marginalized by Biden’s inner circle, the Vice President had found herself dogged by a steady rhythm of negative stories and headlines. In 2023, the Telegraph pronounced Harris “the least popular vice president in history.” “A Kamala Harris staff exodus reignites questions about her leadership style — and her future ambitions,” declared a 2021 Washington Post headline. “Kamala Harris one year: Where did it go wrong for her?,” wondered the BBC. Other outlets were barely more charitable: “Exasperation and dysfunction: Inside Kamala Harris’ frustrating start as vice president” (CNN); “Not a healthy environment: Kamala Harris’ office rife with dissent” (Politico); “Kamala Harris’ staff turnover driven by burnout and apprehension of being labeled a ‘Harris person’” (Business Insider). A book on the Biden administration from Atlantic Staff Writer and DNC asset Franklin Foer described, according to New York Magazine, “an administration where Harris is a comparatively minor player and seemingly manages to always put the wrong foot forward despite her best efforts.”
How did Harris go from a beleaguered and unpopular vice president to the inspiring, celebrity-backed, girlboss of the future? The explanation is simple. The press did not need to flatter Harris during her tenure as vice president, but once she became the standard-bearer for their 2024 political ambitions, the calculus changed.
It is a familiar refrain on the Right that the media is a “wing of the Democratic Party,” but the truth is closer to the reverse: The Democratic Party is the handmaiden of the media, academia, major foundations, and activist groups, as well as various other left-wing authorities that exist in the liminal space between the government and civil society.