Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign has faced unexpected setbacks, struggling to win over voters despite initial momentum. Her alignment with President Biden’s policies and difficulty defining her own vision ultimately hindered her path to victory.

Nearly a month before Election Day, Kamala Harris appeared on ABC’s The View with the goal of introducing herself to Americans and outlining her vision for the country. However, her response to a question about potential differences from President Joe Biden quickly became a point of contention. When asked what he would have done differently, Harris said, “I can’t think of anything.” That statement soon appeared in Republican attack ads, highlighting her struggle to distinguish her candidacy from the incumbent administration.

Public concession and internal reflections

After her election loss to Donald Trump, Harris made a public admission Wednesday night, urging her supporters not to lose hope. However, the aftermath of the defeat led to introspection in her campaign as her team pondered what could have gone wrong. Campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon shared the sentiment of many aides, saying in an email that the loss was “excruciatingly painful” and that processing would take a long time.

Kamala Harris has had difficulty distancing herself from the Biden administration

As vice president, Harris faced significant challenges in moving away from Biden’s unpopularity, which was reflected in consistently low approval ratings throughout his tenure. After Biden dropped out of the race following a poor debate performance, Harris took over, but her association with administration policies remained a lingering obstacle. Although he ran a campaign that promoted “a new generation of leadership” and focused on women’s rights and economic issues, Harris struggled to counter the prevailing anti-Biden sentiment among voters.

Economic and immigration concerns among voters

Harris faced an electorate concerned about economic and immigration challenges. According to AP VoteCast data, 3 in 10 voters believed their family’s financial situation was getting worse, while nine in 10 were concerned about the cost of food. Immigration was also a growing issue, with 40 percent of voters supporting deporting undocumented immigrants — a notable increase from previous years. Despite efforts to separate her platform from Biden’s, Harris has had a hard time clearly defining her own policies, often sidestepping contentious issues rather than tackling them head-on.

Kamala Harris has struggled to rebuild key Democratic support

The Harris campaign aimed to reassemble the coalition that propelled Biden to victory in 2020, including black, Latino and young voters. However, exit polls indicated that Harris performed poorly in each of these demographics, with notable losses among Latino and black voters and a narrower-than-expected margin of support among women. Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders suggested that the Democratic Party’s support among working-class voters has declined because of its defense of the status quo, which has frustrated those who want change.

Focusing on Trump has proven ineffective

Harris initially tried to frame the race as a referendum on Trump and not Biden, leaning into her background as a prosecutor to criticize the former president’s standing. However, as election day approached, she returned to stressing the potential threat from Trump, describing him as “disturbed and unstable.” However, according to Republican pollster Frank Luntz, Harris’ focus on attacking Trump has overshadowed her own vision, leaving voters unclear about her plans for the future. Luntz argued that this focus was reversed because voters wanted more clarity on Harris’ agenda rather than other criticisms of Trump.

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