Harris’s Three-Pronged Kryptonite

While Democrats celebrate their shiny new presumptive nominee, particularly on the eve of her veep selection, Kamala Harris still faces a trifecta of challenges that could turn today’s “irrational exuberance” into another 2016-style shocker. Herewith, the bear case for Harris…

While the last few weeks have reset the race and finally put Democrats in a position to win, the heady days of Kamala’s Brat Summer will be a distant memory come November. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Peter Hamby

August 6, 2024

Axe did it again. Over the weekend, David Axelrod, whose punditry about Joe Biden’s age and political abilities has very much annoyed the White House these past four years, offered a reality check on the dancing-in-the-streets ecstasy that has consumed the Democratic Party since Kamala Harris became their nominee. The polling bump, the money, the volunteers, the memes, that white preppy kid in Atlanta vibing to “Not Like Us” at Harris’s rally last week: Axelrod pooh-poohed the vibes as borderline magical thinking.