Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki took a typical MSNBC take towards at least half the country if not more when she claimed that Vice President Kamala Harris is the best alternative atop the Democratic ticket to her old boss, President Joe Biden.
The press secretary-turned-network host frets, however, that America may be too “sexist and racist” to support her, however.
During a Wednesday interview on the “Pod Save America” podcast, the former Biden flack hailed Harris’s alleged strengths as a campaigner and communicator. She also addressed and countered criticisms regarding Harris’s lack of popularity, defending her viability as a potential lead candidate for the Democratic ticket.
“There’s a lot of really amazing Democrats on the bench, but because of the timeline and everything, I think it is clearly Kamala Harris,” Psaki told podcast co-host Jon Lovett.
Later, however, she claimed there must be a sinister reason why Harris isn’t more popular: “It’s almost like public opinion hasn’t caught up with what she is doing out there, and also, we live in a country that is sexist and racist, so, like, there is that.”
Psaki’s comments come as pressure within the Democratic Party mounts to get Biden to step aside after his disastrous debate performance against former President Trump last month.
Psaki called out Biden on the X platform after the debate: “It was a bad debate. I have no doubt they were tough, strategic and direct. (Believe me I have seen them in action) but prep does not always determine the outcome. Biden was bad. Important convos about what happens next. But if you are directing your ire at ‘prep’ you are not talking about the right things.”
As for Harris, when she ran for the 2020 Democratic nomination, she not only was among the first to drop out, but she couldn’t even win her home state of California.
As vice president, her approval rating has consistently been worse than Biden’s, and Biden’s has not been good, especially over the past year. She has not succeeded in handling the few things Biden has assigned her, as well, including gaining control of the chaotic border.
Meanwhile, Trump continues to gain momentum against Biden following their first debate last month.
According to the latest Rasmussen Reports survey, likely voters, including Independents, believe Trump will be better for the economy, especially when it comes to handling “inflation.”
The survey, shared with the Washington Examiner, found that 60 percent of Independent voters being targeted by President Joe Biden think Republicans and, presumably, Trump, will better handle inflation and the economy. That is a major finding since the survey also found that more than eight-in-10 respondents listed inflation as a “serious” problem heading into the 2024 election.
Put another way, Rasmussen reported that 84 percent of respondents said that the current inflationary period under Biden will be a big factor in their voting choices this fall.
While Biden has dismissed concerns about inflation and the economy, at one point claiming people “have the money to spend,” polls continue to show that the nation feels harmed by rising prices and blame the White House. And earlier in his presidency, Biden bragged about “Bidenomics” — a basket of economic policies adopted by him — until the phrase became an albatross around his neck and was used by Republicans to demonstrate how the policies were harming Americans’ personal finances.
A new survey from last week showed that the price of groceries has grown by 25 percent since the pandemic began, and more so if you account for “quick trips to the store,” Food & Wine reported.
The survey, conducted by Intuit Credit Karma, showed that more than a quarter of the people surveyed admitted to skipping meals for financial reasons.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
