Staff Reports
Vice President Kamala Harris has made yet another desperate attempt to salvage her floundering political image. On Friday, Harris’s administration announced that Stephanie Young, a veteran Democrat aide with a history of working for the likes of President Obama, House Democratic Leadership, and the Congressional Black Caucus, will serve as the Vice President’s senior advisor.
Stephanie Young, a veteran Democratic aide, has been tapped to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ new senior adviser to focus on messaging and outreach. https://t.co/C6lawVmmN4
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) March 24, 2023
The primary task of Young, who has most recently served as the executive director of “When We All Vote,” a nonprofit organization started by Michelle Obama, will be to handle messaging and outreach for the poorly performing Harris. She will also manage communications and inform the outreach strategy and efforts of the office. But can one person really fix Harris’s image problems?
It’s not a secret that Kamala Harris has struggled to connect with the people and enact any meaningful policy during her time as Vice President. Her inane speeches, constant gaffes, and annoying cackle have left people on the right and left thoroughly underwhelmed. Despite being touted as a rising star in the Democratic Party, Harris’s failed presidential campaign in 2019 and her questionable track record as California’s attorney general make it difficult for her to win over voters.
The hiring of Young appears to be an attempt by the Biden-Harris administration to patch up Harris’s image before the likely 2024 re-election campaign. If Young is unable to make Harris more appealing to voters, then Biden could easily replace her on the ticket. But if Biden decides not to run for a second term, Harris may find herself as the top Democratic contender for the presidency in the future.
However, it seems unlikely that even Young can salvage Harris’s reputation considering how many times it has been attempted before. Furthermore, Harris’s stuttering and scolding demeanor on stage makes it difficult for anyone to do much with the Vice President’s communication strategy.
One thing is for sure: Harris’s hire of Young may be too little too late. She has never been popular with voters, and their lack of interest ultimately ended her presidential campaign before a single primary vote. Plus, Young has her own work cut out for her as Harris does not even have a communications director yet.
It’s challenging to make someone like Harris look appealing when every time she speaks, she comes across as either a fawning schoolgirl or a tone-deaf idiot. Ultimately, Young is going to have a tough job ahead of her. Nevertheless, this hire will give the Democrat Party something to hope for, but they should not hold their breath.
