The Benefits & Perils of Early Frontrunner Status
How Harris Is Turning Vicious Attacks on her Professional & Personal Life into Strengths
By Al Giordano
California Senator Kamala Harris’ formal entrance last Monday into the Democratic presidential nomination competition was, like Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren’s two weeks prior, flawlessly executed.
The announcement of a candidacy ideally seeks to accomplish three vital tasks: One, it says, “I can win!” Two, it says, “Here’s why you want me to win.” And three, the candidate tackles the one or two big things that others say is “the problem with me” and turns those perceived weaknesses into strengths going forward.
For Harris, the first was easy enough: The political press corps has slowly, if reluctantly, come to see yesterday’s “Killer Bs” – Biden, Bernie & Beto, each of whom it has attempted in recent months to coronate as frontrunners – more as the “Vanilla Bs,” as women have jumped out in front to define the terms of the game while the men have each dawdled.
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