Vice President Kamala Harris has dodged tough interviews since becoming the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, and the press seems to be fed up.
The vice president has participated in very few interviews since receiving the nomination, and all of them have been friendly. Even then, she couldn’t handle even the most demanding questions. She was completely bombarded on several occasions, which explains why her team was hesitant to put her in front of the camera.
During a recent appearance on MSNBC, journalist Andrea Mitchell argued that Harris needs to do “more interviews and serious interviews” because she is losing the support of men.
“I think they need to do more interviews, serious interviews, because what I’m hearing from Democratic and Republican business people and a lot of men is that she has such a big problem with men. I think there is an undercount of Trump votes. I think there is misogyny in all of this, black men and white men. Big problem, but also the business world. They don’t think she’s serious. They don’t think she’s a heavyweight. A lot of it has to do with gender, but she needs to be more specific about her economic plan.”
It seems that Team Harris understands the mission. Accordingly, she will conduct further interviews next week The New York Times. She will take part in a series of interviews on popular television and radio platforms as the campaign enters its final stages before Election Day.
Harris will appear on “The View,” Howard Stern’s radio show “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” among others. Of course, you might already see what each of these shows have in common, right? They are all media outlets that are friendly to Democrats. The vice president avoids any media that might actually put her under pressure or ask more challenging questions.
The article mentions Harris’ recent appearances with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle, one of the vice president’s most enthusiastic henchmen. Both Stern and Colbert have already endorsed her or President Joe Biden.
Likewise, many of those who interviewed Ms. Harris this week have openly supported either her or Mr. Biden.
Mr. Colbert held fundraisers for Mr. Biden in 2020 and again this year. Mr. Stern endorsed Mr. Biden in 2020 and invited him for a toasty interview in April.
Mr. Walz will appear on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on Tuesday. Mr. Kimmel endorsed Ms. Harris for president last month.
Ms. Harris’s campaign had already announced that she and Mr. Walz would appear in an interview with the CBS news program “60 Minutes” scheduled to air Monday evening. The campaign had also said Ms. Harris would attend a Univision town hall event in Las Vegas on Thursday.
The vice president also recorded an interview on Call Her Daddy, a popular podcast about sex, dating and relationships. The interview, which focuses on abortion rights and other women’s issues, is scheduled to be released Sunday evening.
Harris’ focus on non-time-honored media shows that her team understands that mainstream media is no longer the primary source of news for many voters.
“Your campaign, like that of former President Donald J. Trump, believes that the traditional strategy of interviewing broadcast networks and national newspapers is outdated and not worth the risks involved,” the report said.
Of course Mitchell is right. Harris would never be able to avoid the media forever. Polls show her and former President Donald Trump nearly neck-and-neck in recent results RealClearPolling On average, she was only two points ahead of her opponent.
At this point, it is too risky for Harris not to speak to the press. However, speaking only to reporter friends is not unforeseeable. This is the best way to put your best foot forward in the run-up to the election without completely ruining yourself in front of the camera.
But given Harris’ propensity for gaffes and word salad, even the friendliest interview might not be enough to save her.
