Kevin O’Leary, the sharp-tongued Shark Tank star, has made headlines once again, this time delivering a brutal assessment of Kamala Harris and her failed 2020 presidential bid. In an interview on CNN’s NewsNight, O’Leary didn’t hold back, describing Harris as a “complete loser” and criticising her campaign as deeply flawed from the start. Let’s dive into O’Leary’s take on Harris’s candidacy, why it faltered, and how it highlights broader issues within the Democratic Party.
O’Leary’s Unfiltered Take on Kamala Harris’s Campaign
O’Leary’s critique of Kamala Harris as a presidential candidate is both blunt and damning. According to O’Leary, her failure wasn’t just about her inability to connect with voters, but also about a fundamental flaw in her campaign strategy.
Key Issues with Harris’s Campaign
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Anointed, Not Elected: O’Leary argues that the Democratic Party made a crucial mistake early on by effectively “anointing” Harris as the nominee without a proper primary process. This lack of competition, according to O’Leary, allowed Harris to coast through to the nomination, without facing any real challenge or scrutiny. In his words, the party’s lack of a proper nomination process set the stage for failure.
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A Poor Start with $317 Million: O’Leary believes that despite the $317 million Harris had to play with, the campaign lacked a clear and compelling strategy. He claims the money was wasted, and instead of taking a fresh approach, Harris continued with the same campaign manager from earlier failed efforts. O’Leary argues that Harris was already a “faulted, broken candidate” before she even started.
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Failure to Connect with Voters: One of O’Leary’s most scathing criticisms is Harris’s inability to connect with ordinary voters. He states that Harris couldn’t articulate any clear policies or show compassion for the people. This left voters feeling disconnected, and Harris failed to present herself as a leader who could effectively solve their problems.
The Media and Harris’s Weak Campaign Narrative
According to O’Leary, Harris’s media strategy was weak, further isolating her from potential supporters. Instead of differentiating herself from Joe Biden or offering a compelling vision for the future, Harris allowed herself to be defined by a lacklustre media presence.
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The View Debacle: O’Leary points to an appearance on The View as a pivotal moment that exposed Harris’s inability to stand out. Despite receiving softball questions, Harris struggled to present any clear contrasts with Biden, which made her appear weak and uninspired to voters. Her inability to answer a basic question about what she would do differently was a turning point in her campaign’s downfall.
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A Campaign of Celebrity Rallies and Wasted Funds: One of the major points of contention around Harris’s campaign is the way funds were spent, particularly the $1.4 billion raised for her bid. Critics, including O’Leary, argue that much of this money went towards celebrity-filled rallies and expensive advertising rather than meaningful outreach to voters. The extravagant spending, which included lavish events in swing states, failed to resonate with voters and contributed to her campaign’s inability to gain traction.
O’Leary’s Take on the Democrats’ Loss and Self-Correction
In the aftermath of the election, O’Leary celebrated Donald Trump’s victory over Harris, claiming that the system had self-corrected. O’Leary contends that the American political model righted itself by rejecting a candidate who, in his view, was not fit for office.
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Trump’s Role in the Democratic Party’s Recalibration: O’Leary suggested that Trump’s presence in the race forced the Democratic Party to confront its own weaknesses. In his words, “When it gets too crazy, it fixes itself.” He argues that Harris’s failure wasn’t solely about her individual shortcomings but also about the larger missteps of the party. Trump, according to O’Leary, provided a form of political balance that forced the Democrats to confront their own failures.
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The High Price of Grassroots Support: Kamala Harris has also been criticised for how her grassroots funding was spent. After raising a record $1.4 billion, Harris boasted about the campaign’s historic fundraising efforts, claiming it was the most raised by any presidential campaign in history. However, the funds raised through 8 million donors were quickly consumed by celebrity endorsements and high-profile events, raising questions about how effectively the funds were utilised.
Behind the Scenes: The Struggles of Harris’s Campaign Team
Despite the huge sums raised and the energy behind Harris’s initial push, her team faced multiple obstacles that ultimately doomed her candidacy.
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David Plouffe’s Assessment: In hindsight, key advisors such as David Plouffe, who ran Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign, have pointed to difficult political headwinds that made Harris’s candidacy untenable. Plouffe cited the unpopularity of Biden during the primaries and the tough political environment as major challenges to getting Harris’s approval ratings into a more competitive position.
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Time Constraints and Strategy Failures: Jen O’Malley Dillon, Harris’s campaign manager, acknowledged that the 107-day window between Biden’s endorsement and Harris’s official candidacy left little room for improvement. Dillon also defended the campaign’s attempt to highlight Harris’s differences with Biden and Trump, but many voters felt that Harris was unable to distinguish herself effectively.
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Harris’s Lack of a Clear Identity: According to Stephanie Cutter, a campaign advisor, Harris never fully embraced the idea of separating herself from Biden. With a low favourability rating and negative press, Harris struggled to carve out a distinct identity that resonated with key voter demographics.
Conclusion: Kamala Harris’s Missed Opportunity and O’Leary’s Brutal Assessment
In the end, Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign was a story of missed opportunities, weak messaging, and strategic missteps. Kevin O’Leary’s harsh critique paints a picture of a candidate who was ill-prepared for the challenges of a presidential race. Harris’s inability to connect with voters, her campaign’s poor use of funds, and her struggles to differentiate herself from Biden all contributed to her downfall.
While O’Leary’s take may be brutal, it underscores deeper issues within the Democratic Party and highlights the importance of strong leadership, clear communication, and strategic vision in running a successful presidential campaign.
Photo credit: NPR
