Democrats are now openly admitting they don’t want Kamala Harris to face tough questions from the press.
In a Sunday interview with NBC, Democratic pollster Cornell Belcher dismissed PBS’s Amna Nawaz’s suggestion that Harris should talk to journalists. Nawaz argued that interviews are important because they allow candidates to be questioned about issues not covered in their speeches. This helps voters and is good for democracy.
But Belcher disagreed, saying, “As a campaign strategist, no. She should be talking directly to voters and traveling around. I don’t want her talking to you all right now.”
Instead of having real conversations with voters, Harris has been delivering speeches from a teleprompter at rallies, which protects her from any potentially embarrassing interactions.
Belcher didn’t need to explain why he prefers Harris to avoid interviews. It’s widely believed that she might struggle under tough questioning.
Even a friendly reporter might ask her about her changing positions on issues like fracking and health care or catch her in a mistake, like when she falsely claimed she had visited the border.
Harris might also give unclear answers or have awkward moments.
Democrats fear that letting Harris face tough questions could hurt her campaign. During her 2019 presidential run, the more people learned about her, the less they liked her.
Democrats mainly want voters to know that Harris is not Donald Trump, she’s younger than Joe Biden, and she supports key issues like abortion rights.
As for interviews being good for democracy, Democrats may prefer Harris to engage with the press only after Election Day.
Belcher was surprisingly honest in explaining why they want Harris to avoid tough questions, which might be too candid for a campaign strategist.
