OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Vice President Kamala Harris continues to burn through staff as reports suggest she’s struggling to keep top talent.
Harris’s office has been plagued with turnover and more than a dozen high-profile aids have left. But the problem seems to be, at least according to former staffers, people don’t like working for her.
“Just last year, she saw the exodus of her main domestic policy advisor while her chief speechwriter departed after fewer than four months on the job. It was hardly surprising, given that a year earlier, Politico reported that Kamala Harris’ office was often rife with dissent, and it was even described as being ‘not a healthy environment.’ The problem was so great that even President Joe Biden’s team took notice,” the outlet 1945 reported.
“People are thrown under the bus from the very top, there are short fuses and it’s an abusive environment,” a person with direct knowledge of how Harris’ office is run told Politico in June 2021. “It’s not a healthy environment and people often feel mistreated. It’s not a place where people feel supported but a place where people feel treated like s—.”
The Washington Post published a lengthy report detailing turmoil inside Harris’ circle, with staffers describing her management style as horrifyingly bad.
“It’s clear that you’re not working with somebody willing to do the prep and the work,” a former staffer said. “With Kamala, you have to put up with a constant amount of soul-destroying criticism and also her lack of confidence. So you’re constantly sort of propping up a bully, and it’s not clear why.”
This comes as reports are circulating that there is rising tension in the White House between President Joe Biden and Harris as the 2024 presidential election cycle looms.
Biden, 80, is definitely showing signs of his age and that is a problem that more Democratic voters are considering as he runs for re-election.
It appears that much of their concern is that, in case he becomes incapacitated and can no longer serve or worse, should he pass away while in office, that would mean Vice President Kamala Harris becomes president — and that’s not something most Americans in either party want to see.
According to a new survey, she is so unpopular that she is seen now harming Biden’s reelection chances.
The Washington Examiner reports:
When Rasmussen Reports asked likely voters, “Is she doing a better job or worse job than most previous vice presidents?” her poor showing demonstrated why some Democrats and liberal media outlets are urging Biden to replace her on his reelection ticket.
According to the new survey shared with Secrets Wednesday, 50% said she is worse than most previous vice presidents, 22% said “better,” and 24% saw no difference.
The contrast might hold significance for Biden’s potential re-election bid.
Rasmussen conducted the survey to gauge whether the former California senator’s influence is beneficial or detrimental to his prospects, and the results indicate that by a margin of 33 percent to 22 percent, voters perceive her impact as more negative than positive. Importantly, and potentially more damaging to her image, 41 percent of respondents expressed the view that Harris had no discernible impact whatsoever.
Earlier this week, George Skelton, a longtime political columnist for the Los Angeles Times, wrote that Biden should replace Harris now so she can return to California and take lame-duck Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s seat.
“Biden’s problem is Harris. She’s a burden — a drag on his reelection prospects,” he wrote.
“A reader emailed me with the remedy: Feinstein could resign from the Senate and Gov. Gavin Newsom could appoint Harris to replace her. Biden then could find a more popular running mate, one more acceptable to voters as a potential successor,” Skelton added.
It’s not the first time the suggestion has been made.
John Zogby, a Democratic pollster who likes Biden for some reason, said the same thing in a recent podcast, according to the Examiner.
But Biden appears to have no plans to replace her. In fact, recently, in a memo he wrote — or that someone wrote for him — he said that picking Harris as his running mate “was one of the best decisions I made” and that she remains “the perfect choice.”
A shift in roles could potentially alter the way voters perceive Harris. Rasmussen’s data indicates that her favorability ratings are underwater: According to the recent survey, 42 percent hold a favorable opinion of the vice president, whereas 53 percent view her unfavorably.
Rasmussen discussed the bottom line regarding Harris: “Most voters continue to have a low opinion of Vice President Kamala Harris, and don’t see her as a helpful running mate for President Joe Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign.”