Democratic soul-searching over the Harris loss has given way to finger-pointing
The soul-searching inside the Democratic Party in the wake of Kamala Harris’ defeat has given way to finger-pointing, with many allies and advisers placing a share of the blame on President Joe Biden, his insistence to seek a second term and his reluctance to leave the race.
But aside from Biden, who will address the nation from the Rose Garden on Thursday, several Democratic advisers in battleground states tell CNN that Harris simply could not separate herself from the Biden administration on the economy, immigration and “an overwhelming appetite for change,” in the words of one aide.
Other advisers said too much reliance was placed on the messaging surrounding abortion rights and an intense focus on celebrities in the final weeks of the campaign.
Several Democratic strategists are already calling for a party-wide autopsy of the election results — much like Republicans did in the wake of President Obama’s 2012 re-election — to study how Democrats have become so out of step with such large swaths of the country.
While Democrats have long been unified by their disdain for Donald Trump, the arc of Harris’ messaging toward the former president during the 107-day campaign – joyfully diminishing him before suddenly elevating him as an urgent risk to democracy – will be the subject of considerable debate in the coming weeks.
“Did we give people enough of a reason to vote for her rather than just against Trump?” a senior Democratic adviser tells CNN.
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