Democratic strategist Basil Smikle called out voters on MSNBC Sunday, stating that those who believe Vice President Kamala Harris hasn’t “done enough” to prove her fitness for the presidential office are “intentionally not paying attention.”
Harris has faced significant pushback from Republicans regarding her previous record in California politics, particularly as she has reversed a handful of left-wing policies she once advocated prior to becoming this year’s nominee. On “PoliticsNation,” Smikle praised Harris for her policies that “will help” and asserted that she has successfully distanced herself from President Joe Biden when asked if he believes she has effectively connected with voters.
“I absolutely do and I echo everything that Michael just said, because if you still believe – if there’s anyone that still believes she hasn’t done enough, that means that you’re intentionally not paying attention to her. She has said everything she needed to say, she has gone everywhere she is needed to go and then some. And has really articulated the case for why she should be president of the United States,” Smikle said.
“I think the messaging, in addition to the – sort of the number of reps, to use a sports analogy – has paid off, because a lot of the recent polling is suggesting that more and more voters do feel that her policies actually will help them in the future,” Smikle continued. “That suggests to me that not only is she getting success in being able to define herself, she’s also becoming successful at distancing herself from the Biden Administration and those policies, contrasting with Donald Trump and really starting to sort of form her own identity as a candidate and potential president of the United States.”
Smikle continued to state how Harris is connected to Democratic New York Rep. Shirley Chisholm, who was the first black woman to be elected into Congress.
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“When you talk to a lot of voters, they kind of don’t have a lot of the history of not only how Kamala got to be who she is, but how as a community, particularly when you’re talking about black voters, how as a community we have gotten to this place … So context matters. History matters,” Smikle said.
“With an eye toward the future, there should be this larger conversation about how we move the needle. If Donald Trump is forcing us to look backward, how do we collectively look forward? And I think, you know, that very simple sort of, from Shirley to Kamala point does absolutely underscore that we have — that there is a backstory here,” Smikle added.
While Harris has attempted to distance herself from Biden, the vice president has fluctuated in her ties to the current administration, despite holding a position in the White House. During an interview with Fox’s Bret Baier on Wednesday, she clearly separated herself from Biden, stating she was not a “continuation” of the president.
However, these comments come just weeks after she faced backlash for telling ABC’s “The View” that “not a thing” came to mind when asked if she would change anything about the last four years.
Voters have consistently indicated that their major concerns when heading to the ballot box are the economy, inflation, and immigration. A Gallup poll found Biden’s approva_l rating dropped to an all-time low of 36% in July, rising slightly to 39% this month. Harris has also received low approval ratings during her four years in office, hitting her lowest point of 40% in December 2023 and rising just five points to 45% in an October poll, according to Gallup.
Featured Image Credit: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America
