Univision hosted a “Latinos Ask” town hall with Kamala Harris on Thursday night, and it was as lacking in substance as expected. In the first five minutes, Harris responded to a question about two hurricanes that devastated the southeastern U.S. with the following word salad:
“Leadership is about understanding the importance of lifting people up, understanding that the character of our country is such that we are a people who have ambitions and aspirations, dreams, goals for ourselves and our families, and are entitled to have a leader who then invests in that. … The two visions [for our country], simply put, are that one is about the future, and the other is about the past and taking us backward. And I do believe that the American people are ambitious and aspirational about an investment in the future in a way that we are optimistic while being clear-eyed.”
That’s a lot of ambitions. One voter pointed out that Harris was never elected to be the Democratic nominee but instead became such when “President Biden was pushed aside.” Harris then reiterated that Donald Trump is an “unprecedented” threat to democracy. Ironically, Trump had commented on the issue earlier the same day, telling the Economic Club of Detroit, “Our biggest threat to democracy is stupid people.”
He may have a point. People who lack civic responsibility or common sense threaten the foundation of our government, especially when they hold power. Kamala Harris exemplifies this concern—she’s simply not fit to be president.
Inarticulate and Unlikable
Kamala Harris struggles to explain why she deserves your vote. During the town hall, she dodged questions from concerned voters, focusing instead on vague ambitions, an “opportunity economy,” and fighting “transnational crime organizations.” Her main selling point seems to be that she’s a woman of color and not Donald Trump or Joe Biden. Even in interviews, when asked what she would have done differently from Biden, she offered no clear answers.
Harris’s recent public appearances reveal her inability to articulate clear thoughts. She uses empty phrases like “in terms of” as filler, and her attempts to connect with voters often include a forced “blaccent” or awkward laughter. It’s as if she hasn’t learned the lesson that sometimes it’s better to stay silent than speak and remove all doubt about one’s incompetence.
Beyond being inarticulate, Harris is also unlikable. She lacks the charm of Barack Obama, the intelligence of Hillary Clinton, and even the superficial appeal of Joe Biden. While Biden at least managed to sell a “unity” message in 2020, Kamala hasn’t found any message that resonates with the American public, and likely never will.
The Kamala Phenomenon
As one town hall participant noted, nobody voted for Harris to reach her current position. Her 2020 presidential bid failed before voting even began, but she found her way into the vice presidency because Biden needed to appeal to Black voters. The Democratic Party promoted her once it became clear that Biden wasn’t a strong candidate, propping her up despite her glaring flaws.
Where exactly the enthusiasm for Harris is coming from remains unclear. Her attempt to rebrand as the “change candidate” is baffling because Americans already know her, and she has little support. Unlike the idealism behind Obama’s “HOPE” campaign, the enthusiasm for Harris seems misplaced. What is it about her empty speeches and word salads that resonates with her supporters?
Regime Voters Don’t Care
Harris’s supporters seem to fall into two camps. First, there are those so consumed by hatred for Trump that they would support anyone opposing him. These are the media elites and academics who benefit from the current system. Second, there are the “vibe” voters—those who like the idea of supporting a candidate who aligns with their progressive values but don’t care about competence or substance.
For these voters, it doesn’t matter that Harris can’t handle even the easiest interviews, that her primary qualification seems to be her skin color, or that she’s neither smart nor likable. What matters is that she checks the right boxes and opposes Trump. As long as she fits that mold, they’ll continue to support her, regardless of her obvious shortcomings.
