The hits kept coming from the New York Times as their latest salvo on the presidential election ranked Vice President Kamala Harris’ chances against her peers, and “Umm, Houston…”
After President Joe Biden dropped his re-election bid, the Democratic Party was quick to feign unity with endorsements and delegate support for his presumptive successor. Having already burst the bubble on the incumbent’s doomed-to-fail campaign in the wake of his disastrous debate, the Grey Lady re-burdened the woman “wearing a blue suit” ranking her the least electable out of ten potential candidates to face former President Donald Trump.
Bringing together eight opinion columnists and contributors, chances at winning were considered separate from how exciting the candidate was ranked on a scale of 0 to 10 with the vice president scoring dead last in the former category with a 4.6.
“She has no demonstrated appeal to swing voters, and she cannot run away from the Biden-Harris record on inflation and immigration. Her best arguments are that she’s not old and she’s not Trump,” wrote Josh Barro.
“Even Biden fans see Harris as one of the weakest elements of his administration,” remarked Pamela Paul. “A country desperate for change would bristle at the feeling that once again, real democratic choice is being sidelined in favor of the most deserving insider. And Harris is a fundamentally weak candidate. She fizzled out early in her first presidential run and floundered in the vice presidency.”
The vice president’s spot at the bottom of the pile put her as one of two choices scoring below five after California Gov. Gavin Newsom earned a 4.9 as he brought along the baggage of leading the not-so-Golden State into ruin.
Like Newsom, Ross Douthat said of Harris, “A mediocre politician from a deep-blue state with low national approval ratings, she may find a way to win, but she would be nobody’s top choice were she not the top choice of the president. Relief at Biden’s exit will generate a lot of professed enthusiasm, but it will be fake.”
Joining the Californians in the rankings were:
Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly
Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy
Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro
Out of them, Shapiro was ranked as the most electable at 7.0 while Whitmer topped the rest for excitement at 7.1.
“Whitmer has won two touch elections in her home state, she’s got the ‘Big Gretch’ Midwestern persona, and she could, like Harris, make history. Coastal Democrats already fawn over her cable TV appearances,” said Ross Barkan of the Michigan executive.
Regarding Shapiro, Michelle Goldberg contended, “He could help deliver the essential state of Pennsylvania, but his ardent support for Israel and criticism of pro-Gaza campus protest would reopen wounds in the Democratic Party that have lately started to heal.”
Meanwhile, a number of new polls showed Trump beating Harris by double digits, including a Quinnipiac University poll highlighted by podcast host Megyn Kelly that had the GOP leader trouncing the vice president by 19 points among the youngest demographic, though Trump only eked out a win within the margin of error overall.
“Umm, Houston…” joked Kelly as she shared the obvious problem for Democrats who rely on youth support and low-information voters. The poll was conducted in the lead-up to Biden’s Sunday withdrawal, from July 19-21.
Umm, Houston… https://t.co/szyek2xoGe
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) July 23, 2024
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
- Bill Maher explains Trump’s appeal to young males who have only ever seen ‘white men bad!’ - January 14, 2026
- Murkowski, Dem team up on bill to block Trump from seizing Greenland - January 14, 2026
- Joe Rogan joins Dems, likens ICE to ‘the Gestapo’ - January 14, 2026
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.