A new CNN report found that U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is more popular with Democratic candidates on the campaign trail than Vice President Kamala Harris, but what it really reveals are a set of gripes that Harris’ allies have when it comes to her utilization on the stump.
The report found that Buttigieg — the young, articulate military veteran who ran for president in 2020 following two terms as the mayor of South Bend, Indiana — has become the most requested surrogate on the campaign trail for Democratic candidates in the midterms apart from President Joe Biden. It’s clear that, when presented with this information, Harris’ allies had to come up with excuses as for why a comparative political novice is more sought after than a career politician with a much larger national profile.
One is that Harris’s security footprint is larger than Buttigieg’s. Having the Secret Service and local police on scene creates financial and logistical problems that Buttigieg, who travels with just one bodyguard, doesn’t have to worry about.
The report found that Buttigieg — the young, articulate military veteran who ran for president in 2020 following two terms as the mayor of South Bend, Indiana — has become the most requested surrogate on the campaign trail for Democratic candidates in the midterms apart from President Joe Biden. It’s clear that, when presented with this information, Harris’ allies had to come up with excuses as for why a comparative political novice is more sought after than a career politician with a much larger national profile.
One is that Harris’s security footprint is larger than Buttigieg’s. Having the Secret Service and local police on scene creates financial and logistical problems that Buttigieg, who travels with just one bodyguard, doesn’t have to worry about.
Finally, Harris is — as one source in the CNN article put it — “in Biden’s house.” Buttigieg is not associated with Biden the way Harris is, which gives him more latitude with his remarks on the campaign trail. Harris, on the other hand, is closely scrutinized by Republicans and has to adhere to the administration’s general message. This puts her at a disadvantage with candidates who are looking for a surrogate with a fresh message or maybe don’t want to be associated with every aspect of Biden’s platform.
Whether these excuses are justified is unclear. The reason for Buttigieg’s popularity as a surrogate could be that candidates simply like him more than Harris. After all, an appearance by Biden on the campaign trail entails all of the difficulties and optics that an appearance by Harris does, and he remains the most sought after politician among Democratic candidates.
Both Harris and Buttigieg are seen as potential successors to Biden, and Buttigieg’s popularity with other liberal candidates — at least at the moment — may signal that a tough primary fight will be in the cards for Harris.
Original Article: Harris allies leak fresh Biden, Buttigieg gripes to CNN (sfgate.com)
