Did you know that Kamala Harris has been the vice president since January 2021? Perusing the headlines in newspapers and websites might give off the vibe that she is an overnight sensation who came out of nowhere. Indeed, the mainstream media is engaged in a crusade to reintroduce Harris to the American people months before millions head to the ballot box. Rather than the public digesting hard-hitting interviews and lengthy news conferences, journalists are feeding voters puff pieces designed to memory-hole the current administration's record and tout her as the country's savior. It may be the second edition of "I felt this thrill going up my leg." But will the public buy what the big box media are selling?
Reintroducing Kamala Harris
Time magazine published a roughly 3,000-word article — or a 16-minute read — titled "The Reintroduction of Kamala Harris." Instead of functioning as a serious journalist who commissions articles that require new information and critical insights into the last few years, the assignment editor seems to have tasked the authors with composing a love letter to the presidential candidate.
"Judging from the past few weeks, Harris’ own party underestimated her. Maybe the crowded 2020 primary just wasn’t the right race for Harris to showcase her talents; maybe the vice presidency wasn’t the right role. Suddenly, she seems matched to the moment," the writers stated. "She may seem like an overnight sensation, but Harris’ moment was years in the making. Even if Washington was taken by surprise, the energetic fighter of the past two weeks matches the Harris whom allies say they have known for years."
Of course, Time staffers are not the only ones participating in this charade. Since the dumping of President Joe Biden for Harris, the media has been working overtime to shed her image as an unpopular politician who cannot think on her feet and presents herself as a concoction of former Vice President Dan Quayle and Selina Meyer from the hit comedy show Veep. Many, even supposedly objective outlets to partisan media personalities, are going so far as to defend Harris not speaking to members of the press.
In an interview with The New York Times, eminent political strategist James Carville asked: "Where is it written that you have to sit down for a press interview?" Remarks from different institutions seem to apply this concept to the Harris campaign arbitrarily. An X post from Richard Stengel, a Time editor and MSNBC analyst, essentially endorsed this strategy. "The press often confuses its circumstance with the voters. They are not the same," he purported on a social media platform. "'Press conferences' are for the press. It's not clear how much the public cares or values them." Others in the Fourth Estate appear to agree. “Meet the press? Hold that thought. The candidate sit-down interview ain't what it used to be," said the Associated Press on X.
Outlets are deploying another 2024 election strategy: directing a buddy comedy with the Democratic nominee. The Atlantic penned a piece highlighting Harris' love for food. The New York Times used this as a headline: "Harris Used to Worry About Laughing. Now Joy Is Fueling Her Campaign." The Los Angeles Times informed readers that Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, were emphasizing "freedom" and "joy." An MSNBC chyron of a Harris campaign rally read: "The joy surrounding the Harris-Walz ticket." Everyone received the memo highlighting the power of joy!
The most egregious reporting might be the self-imposed amnesia. As Liberty Nation News recently reported, the media ostensibly forgot about its coverage of the vice president as the border czar. But the internet never forgets. Meanwhile, a few weeks into the campaign, this has not been the only example of questionable reportage.
Harris indirectly announced that she endorses her Republican opponent’s proposal to eliminate taxes on tips. The major news organizations have refrained from mentioning in their coverage of the policy announcement that Harris was the tie-breaking vote to pass the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, which gave $80 billion to the IRS and launched a program to crack down on servers’ tips.
At a recent campaign rally, Harris declared that she would tackle inflation on her first day in the Oval Office. “It will be a day one priority to fight to bring down prices. I’ll take on big corporations that engage in illegal price gouging. I’ll take on corporate landlords that unfairly raise rents. I will take on Big Pharma and cap the costs of drugs,” she said. Once again, the media foot soldiers have failed to question why she did not resolve the price inflation issue when she was the president’s wingman for almost four years.
Who Was the Vice President Again?
The New York Post's Michael Goodwin asserted in an Aug. 10 op-ed that "the liberal media will do anything to get Kamala Harris elected – which includes not questioning her." It is not only the paucity of questions hurled at Harris and Walz – and the media not demanding an extended presence before journalists – that could be a problem, but also forgetting that she participated in the current administration. Considering Biden's performance in the White House, it would be safe to assume that Harris possessed more power than past vice presidents. From a border crisis to 20% cumulative price inflation, entities presenting news to the public might prefer to concentrate on composing content in the style of bobbysoxers sending love letters to Clark Gable.
Glenn Greenwald, columnist and host of System Update, observed in response to the Time article: "The way the US corporate media transformed Kamala Harris from a national embarrassment to a transformative pioneer overnight -- without even pretending to care about anything that she thinks or believes -- is a powerful testament to how potent the science of propaganda is."
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