Kamala Harris's election memoir shows just how deluded the Democrats still are | Nesrine Malik

"Watching the Kamala Harris presidential campaign unfold last year, I remember thinking, and writing, about how striking it was that she had been rehabilitated almost overnight into a political titan. Authoritative accounts of her before that moment portrayed a lo-fi vice-president, who, even according to people who had worked to get her there, had not risen to the challenge of proving herself as a future leader of the party, much less the country."

"Another striking feature of her campaign was how it leaned into vibes and spectacle rather than substance, or building faith in Harris as a clean break from an unpopular and visibly deteriorating Joe Biden. Her new book, 107 Days, a memoir of the exact number of days she had to win the presidency, goes a long way in explaining why that was. In short, Harris and those around her, including supportive media parties got high on their own supply."

"There was only a woman with a formidable lack of self-awareness and a propensity to self-valorise. The book reveals a politician who is all about the machinery of politics, rather than one with conviction spurred by a sense of duty, or a coherent and specific set of values that differentiate her. The not a thing that comes to mind answer she gave when asked during the campaign if there was anything she would have done differently to Biden was not caution, but the truth."

Kamala Harris underwent rapid political rehabilitation into a perceived titan despite prior portrayals of her as a lo-fi vice-president who had not proven herself as a future party leader. Her campaign emphasized vibes, spectacle, and image-building rather than substantive policy differentiation or a clear break from Joe Biden. Supportive media and allies amplified confidence, contributing to a self-reinforcing dynamic. The public persona reflected self-valorization and limited self-awareness, prioritizing the machinery of politics over convictions or distinctive values. There is little evidence of a desire to meaningfully diverge from Biden on issues such as Gaza.

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