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Can Harris Re-Write Her Narrative in Time for ’24?

As Joe Biden prepares to embark on a re-election campaign, Kamala Harris will enter uncharted territory.
As Joe Biden prepares to embark on a re-election campaign, Kamala Harris will enter uncharted territory. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Tara Palmeri
February 27, 2023

Eight months before the 2020 election, when Joe Biden was looking for a running mate who would solidify his coalition, the Democratic strategist Karen Finney and a small group of prominent Black political savants (Minyon Moore and Leah Daughtry, among others) pushed him to choose a Black female running mate. One month later, they specifically made the case for his one-time foe, Kamala Harris

Finney, who is also a CNN commentator, remains a friend of Harris and a member of her kitchen cabinet. She reliably defends the vice president in the wake of stories about turnover in her office, say, or other political challenges. She’s also among a group of powerful female strategists who have met in D.C. to deeply ponder how to rewrite the narrative that Harris is underperforming in her historic role.