Kamala Has Beer With Colbert

By
Jackson Steel
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When Vice President Kamala Harris announced her run for the presidency after unceremoniously pushing Joe Biden aside, her campaign strategy initially seemed straightforward: wrap her in bubble wrap, stick her behind a teleprompter, and let the controlled optics do the work. But as the weeks have passed, it’s become increasingly clear that this plan wasn’t enough to propel her to the front of the race. Now, the Harris campaign has switched gears, attempting to showcase a more “unscripted” side of the vice president through a series of friendly interviews.

However, as recent appearances on shows like “The View,” with Howard Stern, and “The Late Show” with Stephen Colbert demonstrate, these attempts to humanize Harris and present her as the “change” candidate have been anything but smooth. Instead, her responses have often come off as disjointed, overly rehearsed, and frustratingly devoid of substance—qualities that critics argue show the true Kamala Harris.

Take her latest appearance on Colbert’s show, for example. When asked about what differentiates her from Joe Biden, Harris leaned on a well-worn line: “Sure, well, I’m obviously not Joe Biden, and so, that would be one thing, but also, I think it’s important to say with 28 days to go, I’m not Donald Trump.” Instead of delivering a concrete answer about her vision or how she would handle things differently than the Biden administration, Harris reverted to generic rhetoric about America’s character, dreams, and aspirations. The lack of specifics was palpable, and even Colbert’s friendly jabs couldn’t mask the awkwardness of her circular reasoning.

It’s astonishing that after months on the campaign trail, Harris still doesn’t have a polished, policy-focused answer ready to distinguish herself from Biden. The softball questions from Colbert and other interviewers should have been the perfect opportunity for her to prove she’s the “change” candidate, yet she continues to fall back on broad platitudes that feel over-rehearsed and inauthentic. It’s almost as if her handlers haven’t coached her to move beyond empty talk about “aspirations and dreams” or to quit the repetitive monologues on America’s work ethic.

Harris’s appearance on “The View” didn’t fare much better. When asked if there was anything she would have done differently from Biden’s administration, she flatly responded, “There is not a thing that comes to mind.” This answer is a political gift to her opponents, especially the Trump campaign, who are eager to frame her as a continuation of Biden’s policies—policies they argue have failed the country. If Harris can’t—or won’t—articulate any significant policy differences, how can she credibly claim to be the fresh leader that voters are looking for in 2024?

One of the most glaring examples of Harris’s struggles came when Colbert handed her a scripted moment, asking her to share a beer with him. The exchange felt painfully forced, with Harris awkwardly blurting out her last beer experience at a baseball game before Colbert even finished his question. The pretense of spontaneity was completely shattered, and it highlighted a broader issue: Harris seems to struggle with authenticity, constantly coming off as rehearsed and over-prepared. Her attempts to connect with voters on a personal level often fall flat because they lack the genuine spontaneity that resonates with people.

Harris’s attempts to outline her policy platform were similarly lacking. Her promise to build three million homes by the end of her first term and offer $25,000 in down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers might have sounded good in theory but crumbled under scrutiny. For starters, building three million homes would actually be less than the current construction rate, not more, and her plan fails to address the core issue of skyrocketing interest rates that have made homeownership unattainable for many Americans. Instead of tackling the root causes of the housing crisis, such as inflation and the high cost of borrowing, her solution is to throw more money at the problem—a move that could further fuel inflation.

Worse yet, her plan to offer financial assistance to first-time buyers would barely scratch the surface of what’s needed in today’s market. With interest rates doubling in some cases since the start of her tenure, $25,000 in assistance doesn’t come close to offsetting the increased cost of mortgage payments. It’s the kind of half-baked proposal that highlights her detachment from the everyday struggles of the average voter, all while failing to explain why she didn’t advocate for these changes during her four years as vice president alongside Joe Biden.

What these interviews have underscored is that Kamala Harris, even in her so-called “unscripted” moments, seems more scripted than ever. The relentless focus on broad, feel-good rhetoric, the inability to clearly differentiate herself from Biden, and the awkward attempts to appear relatable have all combined to make her campaign feel hollow and disconnected from the realities voters face. Harris’s attempts to reinvent herself as a “change” candidate are being undercut by her own lack of specifics and her history of being part of the very administration she’s now trying to distance herself from.

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