As the Democratic National Convention in Chicago continues, there’s a lot to unpack about the state of the race and the media’s role in it. Since President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race a month ago, his replacement, Vice President Kamala Harris, has taken the lead—but not in the way many expected. Despite being the official Democratic nominee, Harris has not taken any substantive questions from the media or conducted any interviews since stepping into the role. The same goes for her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. This lack of transparency is raising eyebrows, and it was a hot topic during a segment on Fox News from the convention hall.
I was asked about this situation, and I didn’t mince words. It’s “embarrassing” and “ridiculous” that the so-called ‘news’ media has been so compliant in the face of this historic stonewalling. The Democratic strategist on the segment tried to spin it by saying Harris has been giving “face time” to reporters, just without allowing them to report on what she says. But let’s be clear—that’s not how journalism or democracy is supposed to work.
Playbook detail I hadn’t seen before: Harris has been talking with her traveling press off the record (which Biden rarely did). One reason that you haven’t seen as much media grumbling about access – the outlets paying for the plane are getting facetime https://t.co/NPvxGNpolH
— David Weigel (@daveweigel) August 8, 2024
The strategist also claimed Harris has been “interviewing” with voters, though she hasn’t been fielding questions from them either. When I pointed out that Democrats essentially nullified the votes of 14 million primary voters to install Harris, the strategist denied it, pretending the entire process was voluntary on Biden’s part. But this lack of transparency and engagement isn’t just a minor oversight—it’s part of a deliberate strategy. And unfortunately, it’s working.
This is the 2024 version of Biden’s 2020 basement strategy, where minimal exposure and maximum media adulation helped secure a win. Harris, by simply not being Biden and basking in the glow of media praise, has managed to take the lead in national polling averages. She’s not the clear frontrunner, but her position is far stronger than Biden’s was before he dropped out. Trump still has a good chance of winning, but Harris has at least a 50/50 shot at taking the Electoral College.
This exchange about Kamala Harris avoiding any substantive Q’s — and any interviews at all — for a *month* got a bit…spirited: pic.twitter.com/sM5flqJ7iM
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) August 18, 2024
Interestingly, even liberal commentators like Maureen Dowd are calling out what happened within the Democratic Party. In her recent column titled “The Dems Are Delighted. But a Coup Is Still a Coup,” Dowd described the behind-the-scenes maneuvering to push Biden out as a “jaw-dropping putsch.” While she and others may support the move for the sake of party unity, it’s a stark reminder that the will of 14 million primary voters was essentially discarded.
Dowd’s candid acknowledgment of the “coup” speaks volumes about the current state of the Democratic Party. She argues that those who orchestrated Biden’s exit should be proud for saving the party from a likely defeat. But the reality is, if Trump does return to the White House, it will be because voters—through the democratic process—chose to re-elect him.
How the media used to cover Kamala Harris before she became the Democratic nominee for President, and how they cover her after. See if you can spot the difference. pic.twitter.com/G1Cmz26MsG
— Alberto E. Martinez (@albertemartinez) August 18, 2024
