A very revealing comment, and a window into the Democratic psyche. This attitude is arrogant and entitled, of course, but it may not be misplaced. Democrats have learned quite well that many journalists are either functionally or openly propagandists for their side, and they will effectively do as they're told. The unelected, replacement Democratic presidential nominee doing zero interviews for a full month? Such joy. The nominee announcing a new round of radical policies, having walked away from many of her previous ones with no explanation?
That's fine, one of the campaign's surrogates told a major news outlet, you'll do that work for us, thanks. Is he wrong?
Harris surrogate Kaivan Shroff on @ABCNewsLive: "The more details you share the more your policies get picked apart but what [Kamala] is saying is... she trusts journalists to explain these policies and our values to folks. When that happens it will be successful for Democrats."
— Ben Domenech (@bdomenech) August 19, 2024
That trust is well-earned, thanks to many years of slavish water-carrying. It's true that Kamala Harris received some media pushback for her Soviet-style price controls scheme, which marked something of a departure from the weeks-long adulation festival Harris had been enjoying. But it's telling that her top advocates feel comfortable simply laughing off reasonable questions -- even if they're framed as tepidly as possible:
All Whitmer can do is laugh and deflect because she obviously can’t answer for Harris as to why she’s flipping on all these positions and Harris refuses to answer the questions herself. https://t.co/M9Q8zR1XHq
— AG (@AGHamilton29) August 18, 2024
Forget "better explain." How about explain at all? Whitmer's response is a snide chuckle and an immediate pivot to attacking the Trump campaign. Unresponsive. I suppose Harris did finally attempt to explain one of her economic policies (after the Meet the Press interview embedded above aired). The result:
NEW: Kamala Harris struggles to answer after a reporter asks her about her economic policy, says “return on investment” four times.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 18, 2024
Reporter: Can you explain how you're gonna pay for your policies?
Harris: Well, I mean, you just look at it in terms of what we are talking about,… pic.twitter.com/k6NNyfZtf3
A one minute answer, four vague uses of the term "return on investment," capped off with the ludicrous claim that her new trillion-dollar-plus agenda items (on top of all her other runaway spending, completed and proposed) will 'pay for themselves.' They absolutely will not. Remarkable:
On the opening night of the DNC, Harris' campaign website has no policy section.
— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) August 19, 2024
There are bios for Harris and Walz, a tab to donate, a tab to volunteer, and a merch store.
No policy.
Perhaps Heinrich didn't get the message that Harris' policy is joy and vibes. On that score, I'll leave you with this vapid pablum, which she evidently believes is profound and insightful. New 'unburdened by what has been' just dropped:
The duality of Kamala Harris in triplicate. pic.twitter.com/G9XZ6aYKTM
— Kevin Dalton (@TheKevinDalton) August 19, 2024