Vice President Kamala Harris’s recent acceptance speech had three clear objectives, and she achieved them all: (1) to tout her experience, as any politician would, (2) to make vague promises to solve every problem while offering everything on the American wish list, and (3) to carefully sidestep her track record as a Senator and Vice President, especially avoiding her past stances on issues like fracking and private health insurance.
While Harris has a compelling personal story to tell, her delivery was overshadowed by other speakers at the convention, such as Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz and Oprah Winfrey, who showed stronger stage presence and oratory skills. Former White House Press Secretary and MSNBC host Jen Psaki even went so far as to describe Harris as having “magical charisma,” a description that seems overly generous. In terms of presentation, Harris’s performance was average at best—perhaps deserving of a “C” grade.
When it came to discussing her personal journey, Harris scored better. She portrayed herself as a living example of the American dream—a child of immigrants who rose to prominence. This narrative earned her a respectable “B” grade, along with a hypothetical nomination for a Horatio Alger Award.
However, Harris faltered when laying out her plans for a potential presidency. Much like President Biden’s previous addresses, her speech was filled with lofty promises and vague commitments to deliver on issues far beyond her direct control. For this, Harris gets a “D-minus” for substance, and an unofficial “Snake Oil Salesperson of the Year” award.
A notable aspect of Harris’s speech was the heavy emphasis on patriotism, a theme that resonated throughout the Democratic convention. The narrative seemed to be an effort to combat perceptions of the Democratic Party as being less patriotic, a stereotype often perpetuated by critics. This “love for America” messaging was reminiscent of the 2008 Obama campaign, where political strategist David Axelrod successfully portrayed Barack Obama as a figure who could bring a new kind of leadership, despite being a stark contrast to traditional presidential images.
This strategy is clearly aimed at reclaiming the narrative around patriotism, countering claims that Democrats are not “American cheerleaders.” However, the enthusiastic display of flags and chants of “USA! USA!” within the convention hall could not entirely mask concerns over the Biden-Harris administration’s policies, which some argue have weakened the U.S. in terms of global commerce, military strength, and democratic leadership.
While there’s no reason to question Harris’s patriotism, her policy positions are another matter. Her speech avoided discussing how her policies would impact America, a strategy likely to continue throughout the campaign.
In the end, Harris’s speech can be seen as a spirited attempt to position herself and the Democratic Party as the champions of American values. However, for the lack of originality and for borrowing heavily from previous Democratic playbooks, Harris gets an “F” for originality, along with the tongue-in-cheek “Joe Biden Award for Literature.”
Ultimately, Harris’s speech was filled with political “fairy dust,” aimed at distracting voters from pressing issues. It’s the kind of rhetoric that might leave the audience feeling like they’ve been enchanted—or perhaps, as some critics might suggest, “Puck-ed” by a modern political rendition of a Shakespearean comedy.
