In a recent conversation between Democratic strategist James Carville and NewsNation host Chris Cuomo, Vice President Kamala Harris was characterized as President Joe Biden's "Achilles' heel," with her political predictability being highlighted as a significant concern.
This discussion took place against the backdrop of Harris' dwindling approval ratings, which currently stand at 38.4%, while her disapproval ratings hover around 50%, as reported by FiveThirtyEight.com.
According to the Daily Caller, Carville suggested to Cuomo on NewsNation's "Cuomo" that Harris could benefit from a less predictable approach, focusing on positive crime statistics under the Biden administration rather than contentious issues such as abortion or border control. However, Cuomo questioned the effectiveness of this strategy given the public's current sentiment towards the Vice President.
Carville proposed a scenario where Harris would surprise her audience by deviating from expected topics. "I think that Vice President Harris, who is the most predictable politician Ive ever seen, should go to Phoenix, announce a speech and let everybody show up thinking its going to be about the border, about or abortion or something else," Carville said. He then suggested that Harris should "congratulate the police men and women around the United States and the courts and the juries for doing a staggeringly good job of bringing this crime rate down."
Carville further elaborated on his proposed speech for Harris, emphasizing the need for a positive narrative. "Our streets are getting safer. Our cities like Milwaukee are certainly getting safer. And New York, by the way, where you are, is a low-crime jurisdiction," he said. He added that this approach could help Harris become less predictable and potentially improve her public image.
However, this narrative of decreasing crime rates has been challenged. Retired New York Police Department inspector Paul Mauro recently expressed skepticism about the FBI's new statistics, which claim a decrease in crime across the United States within the first three months of 2024 compared to the same period last year. This skepticism is further fueled by the fact that major cities, including Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York, did not report any crime data to the FBI in 2023, as Fox News reported.
Cuomo, however, questioned whether Harris, given her current public perception, could effectively deliver this message. "You suggest VP Harris, but isnt she the Achilles heel other than Bidens perceived health, that people are going to say, What, Harris? Shes why I wont vote for Biden. I dont want her as president?'" he asked.
Despite these concerns, Carville maintained that his proposed strategy could help improve Harris's public image. Cuomo, however, remained skeptical, stating, "I mean she is who she is, she does what she does. A lot of its baked in, but I like your strategy If you had another Clinton, youd be in a much different position right now."
This discussion comes at a time when former President Donald Trump is leading Biden by .8% nationally in the presidential election, according to the RealClearPolling average. This suggests a challenging political landscape for the Biden administration and its key figures, including Vice President Harris.
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