Staff Reports
Kamala Harris is playing a high-stakes game of political freeze tag, desperately trying to distance herself from the train wreck that is Bidenomics. This week, Axios reported the vice president’s behind-the-scenes maneuvering to shed any association with the economic policies tied to her boss, Joe Biden, whose popularity is plunging faster than a lead balloon. While she won’t admit it out loud—probably because her handlers have advised her against such bluntness—her inner circle is candid about the need to redefine her political identity away from the current administration’s failures.
Harris appears to have zeroed in on inflation as her golden ticket out of Biden’s shadow. According to insiders, she is attempting to finesse herself into the role of the “not-Biden” candidate by proposing solutions that are supposedly clearer and more urgent than the muddled messaging coming out of the White House. With an overwhelming 80% of American adults expressing dissatisfaction with the country’s trajectory, it’s no wonder she wants to position herself as a breath of fresh air in a political climate that smells of inflation and economic mismanagement.
"Bidenomics. Ha ha ha ha! That is called Bidenomics — and we are very proud of Bidenomics!"
— Kamala Harris#KamalaCrash pic.twitter.com/JwXWeePr1m
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 5, 2024
The White House is certainly feeling the heat of this shift. During a press briefing, Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy confronted Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, pointedly asking when it became apparent that Harris wanted to disassociate from Bidenomics. Jean-Pierre, unfazed, questioned Doocy’s insinuation with the grace of a bull in a china shop, insisting, “Don’t you know this is the Biden-Harris administration?” The irony here is as thick as the inflation that’s squeezing American wallets.
To add to the hilarity, Jean-Pierre dodged the embarrassment of the Biden-Harris connection by touting the vague promises of “building the economy from the bottom up, middle out,” a phrase that has become synonymous with political fluff and empty promises. Meanwhile, she dismissed “MAGA-nomics” as being contrary to their goals while strenuously insisting that Bidenomics is a joint effort. As if trying to shovel coal into a furnace that’s already ablaze, Jean-Pierre seemed genuinely perplexed about the idea that a vice president might want to steer clear of a sinking ship.
What is really happening here is that Jean-Pierre has inadvertently tied Harris tightly to the economic policies of the administration. In essence, she threw Kamala Harris under the proverbial Bidenomics bus, which might leave Harris wondering if the seatbelt was worth it. With the midterms approaching and the economy a hot mess, Harris’ attempt to craft her narrative looks more desperate by the minute, serving only to highlight how deep she’s entrenched in the very policies she’s trying to shake off. The real question remains: can she navigate the tricky waters of political survival without the fundamental skills—or the wind at her back—that Bidenomics so blatantly lacks?
