In the ever-evolving political landscape of the United States, Vice President Kamala Harris finds herself at the center of a debate concerning her low approval ratings. A recent discussion on CNN's State of the Union saw Ashley Allison, a colleague of Harris, attributing these ratings to underlying prejudice and misogyny.
Allison, in her conversation with other political activists, including Alyssa Farah Griffin and Alice Stewart, opined that the general public often remains unaware of the responsibilities and roles of vice presidents. She emphasized Harris' groundbreaking position, stating, "She is a history maker. She is a woman, she is a Black woman, and it's the easy thing to do ... to say she's the attack dog, go after her."
Allison further argued that Harris has been unfairly criticized for issues she wasn't directly responsible for. Contrary to popular belief, Harris wasn't tasked with handling the border crisis but was instead assigned to address its root causes, primarily focusing on Central and South America. Allison defended Harris, saying, "It's not because of Kamala Harris. It's because we have not been able to find bipartisan reform."
The conversation took a broader turn when the topic of election systems was broached. Allison pointed out the ongoing controversy with former President Donald Trump, who has yet to concede his election loss. She firmly stated, "That's not because of Kamala Harris."
However, not everyone at the roundtable shared Allison's perspective. Alice Stewart countered Allison's arguments, suggesting that Harris has "failed" in many of her missions. Stewart criticized Harris for deflecting from her perceived shortcomings, noting, "She has not done her job... she's not a popular vice president." Stewart further argued that Harris often resorts to attacking Republicans instead of addressing her own performance, adding, "she has appointed herself the attack dog, and she's getting hit back."
The broader implications of Harris' approval ratings were also discussed, with some suggesting that President Joe Biden's potential decision to retain Harris as his VP for a subsequent term could adversely affect his reelection chances. Given Biden's age, the choice of vice president is under heightened scrutiny.
As the political arena remains divided on the reasons behind Harris' low approval ratings, one thing is clear: her position as the first female, Black, and South Asian vice president in U.S. history ensures that her tenure will always be under the microscope, for better or for worse.
