Instead of hope and change, we got rant and rave.
In case you missed it, Kamala Harris delivered a joyless, angry speech at the DNC Thursday night, endlessly trolling President Donald Trump.
Harris’s DNC acceptance speech was shockingly devoid of policy specifics for an anointed candidate who never got a single primary or caucus vote.
The surprise DNC guest will be Kamala Harris' policy positions.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 22, 2024
Instead, Harris hectored the nation about Trump. A lot of her attacks were completely disingenuous. For example, she accused Trump of explicitly intending to jail his political opponents. As opposed to Democrats, who are literally trying to do that to him now?
She said he handpicked Supreme Court justices – the horrors – which, yeah, is what presidents get to do.
Harris ranted about free and fair elections, but her party is trying to keep the Green Party off the ballot in Wisconsin, and she was anointed the nominee despite another guy getting millions of votes. She spoke as if she WAS the border czar.
When she did briefly veer into policy, she was vague or lied or promised the opposite of what she and Biden have already done. The Trump rapid response team sent out detailed rebuttals on the economy and foreign policy. “Kamala Harris has already raised Americans’ taxes — and if she’s elected in November, she’ll raise them by trillions more,” read one. “Kamala’s pledge ‘not to raise taxes’ on low- and middle-class Americans is a complete lie.”
The central dilemma for her candidacy is this – if she has great ideas, why not implement them now? Why wait?
Trump had the best rebuttal of the night, when he wasn’t pausing to mend fences with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (Thank God.)
Usually, incumbents tout their record in a positive manner. If they have one. She’s basically the incumbent because she’s been #2 in an administration that’s been in the White House for almost four years. This was a challenger’s speech. She went negative. Her entire speech was predicated on scaring voters about a Trump administration. But, but… they already lived through one, and most Americans were better off four years ago.
Harris and Walz are big on bios: The assistant coach stuff, the parents. We get WHO they are. But what will they DO? That’s easy. Just look at what they’ve done. Or haven’t done. And that’s where the speech failed. Harris failed to articulate how a Harris administration would be different from the Biden-Harris administration.
She also failed on tone.
Donald Trump Truth Social 11:32 PM EST 08/22/24 @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/eKZdrJTD79
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) August 23, 2024
Do people want negative? No. Generally, people want to be inspired, uplifted, promised a better future. That’s the genius of Make American Great Again. Or hope and change. This wasn’t that. It was no shining city on a hill.
Granted, the speech will be a Rorschach blot of one’s ideological preference. Democrats will love it, Republicans will hate it, on ABC and CNN they were gushing about it, Michelle Obama saw “grace.” But those independents? It’s hard to imagine this speech flipping anyone, and RFK Jr.’s possible endorsement of Trump is coming tomorrow.
CUOMO: "It's not going to be satisfying to independent voters." pic.twitter.com/fmQUWpFb0z
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) August 23, 2024
It’s hard to imagine voters wanting to have a beer with Harris. She failed on likability. Say what you want about Trump, but he’s funny.
With Harris, it felt like we’d all been screamed at for an hour by the high school librarian. Granted, it’s tougher for a female politician to find the fine line between strength and shrill. You don’t want guys to feel like they’re being screamed at by their ex-wife, but you still have to project strength. The gender gap in this election is going to be massive.
“Accepting the party’s nomination, Kamala Harris lays out her agenda, diminishes Trump and offers a message of unity,” CNN wrote. A message of unity? It was an extended troll of Trump.
On top of it all, the crowds were expecting Beyonce after an extended DNC psyop about a “surprise guest” that never materialized, a false report in The Hill and TMZ, and a carefully tweeted “bee” emoji from the White House Policy Director. Was it a ploy to gin up ratings?
the DNC after telling everyone there’s a “big surprise” tonight pic.twitter.com/zYfzHdtuQL
— Logan Hall (@loganclarkhall) August 23, 2024
Nobody will remember anything from that speech.
They’ll just remember they were told there would be Beyoncé and there was not.
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) August 23, 2024
If so, they weren’t treated to a politician with Obama’s rhetorical gifts. Or Trump’s policy specifics. Or Reagan’s optimism. She came across like an angrier Hillary.
People don’t want to be screamed at for another four years. They just want to be able to pay for groceries.
This is an opinion piece.
