During last week's debate, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris noted, "Clearly, I am not Joe Biden." An attempt at mild humor, certainly, but also an oblique effort by the nascent candidate to distance herself from an administration of which she constitutes precisely half.
For the remainder of the event, Harris barely referenced her current boss and declined almost entirely to defend him from Trump's attacks. Bizarre, given the buddy-cop tenor recent top-of-ticket duos have assumed, particularly Harris and fresh VP pick Tim Walz. For Pete's sake, even a disillusioned Mike Pence mustered a mild defense of Trump during last summer's Vice-Presidential debate, January 6th fallout and all.
The same way the erstwhile rivals had to coalesce following 2020 primary campaign jabs- including Kamala's suggestion that the then former Vice-President had opposed integrated school bussing during his days in Congress- the pair must now create some distance so that Harris can likewise step away from a term of failed policy. A conscious uncoupling of sorts, to use a favored phrase of their Hollywood fan base, designed to gaslight America into believing the two have very little- if any- legitimate affiliation.
Still (allegedly) fulfilling her duties as Vice President, the Lady Harris now looks to paint herself a "new generation of leadership," representing a fresh start for Americans of all persuasions. When asked if people were better off today than they were four years ago, she ignored the question entirely and offered her proposed agenda instead.
Harris, meanwhile, must be careful not to anger more traditional members of the Democratic party, who remain loyal to Biden and potentially mistrustful of the relatively unknown Vice President. In the absence of support for her administration, Harris ought to be able, at a minimum, to offer examples of where she pushed back or introduced alternatives.
Instead, she sidesteps the previous three years all together. Of course, she can't harken back any further and risk highlighting her pre-White House views on fracking, marijuana convictions, and private insurance—stances that paint her as an ultra-liberal extremist. So, we are left with ventriloquism and a candidate for whom we should vote because we are being told to do so. The elite powers of the DNC have spoken, and the people should now behave and line up to vote for the Chosen Candidate.
One key component of the distance created is presenting a plausible deniability that Harris knew in advance of the rest of the nation that Biden was incapable of seeking a further term, and potentially of finishing his current one. It is an impossibility that she was spending significant time with the President without noticing his failing health and subsequently bringing it to light.
As the campaign concludes, voters can hope to see more of Kamala's independent vision—but they shouldn't hold their breath. The Democrats have created a spectacle so carefully balanced that anything beyond focus-group-tested catchphrases creates an opening for Trump to pounce. At this point, innovative thought from the Harris camp would be tantamount to an October surprise.
Has Harris done a good job disassociating herself from the Biden administration? Will it matter in the election?
Hilary Gunn is a Connecticut native with a degree in Criminal Justice from the George Washington University. She works for a nonprofit and has previously collaborated with the CT GOP as an activist, political campaign manager and field director, and social media organizer. She is currently serving in her fourth term of municipal office and has previously acted as a delegate on the Republican Town Committee.