The Biden-Harris administration has not been without its challenges, with the backlash of the pandemic, inflation, Russia and Ukraine, as well as the ongoing Southern border problem, both the President and VP witnessed rises and falls in approval. Harris, however, dropped to an astounding 28.9% in one of these dips, making her at that time one of the least popular Vice Presidents in modern American history.
In 2021, Biden personally handed Harris one of the most difficult issues in present America, to lead efforts to stem the growing influx of migrants crossing the border with Mexico. This solo mission has become one of the largest factors in the judgement and criticism of Kamala Harris. Biden has spoken of confidence in Harris, pointing to her experience as California attorney general where he regarded her “great deal for human rights.”
Compared to her predecessors, Harris currently slumps behind the last four. Former VP Mike Pence slightly bridges Harris at the same point in their respective tenures, whilst Harris is well under the approvals of the three VPs prior to Pence. Though some of this can be accredited to the now incredibly partisan nature of the United States, Californian political journalist Dan Morain has stated Harris was picked “because she’s a woman and a person of colour, not for any of her accomplishments” but has also acknowledged this is not to say she doesn’t have any. Morain speculates that “whoever the Republican nominee is will run against Kamala Harris” come November 2024. Given that Biden, if re-elected, will be 82 at his second inauguration, there is a high chance a second Biden term could very quickly become a Harris term.
A quick ascension from VP to President may currently seem bewildering given that following the November mid-terms, the media has become rampant with speculation over the ‘missing VP.’ During the State of the Union address, the VP brushed off any questions regarding ‘fading into the background’ and instead cited her busy agenda. Despite this, it’s hard to avoid that the monumental noise as Harris was inaugurated, the first black VP, the first female VP, has now been reduced to a mere whisper. The 2024 election cycle is shaping up to be extremely chaotic, and now that the Biden-Harris ticket for the Democratic side is essentially confirmed, we may see a different side to Vice President Harris presented as she becomes not just a candidate for a second term as VP, but also a potential future President.
