Unquestionably, Democrats have this century’s most inarticulate ticket. Harris’ NBC interview word salad on so-called “gender-affirming care” and Walz’s profanity regarding Elon Musk are recent examples of their challenges in communication. This is not simply a problem for Harris and Walz but for a party dependent on veiling their extreme policies beneath moderate words.
Just look at Harris’ answer to NBC’s very simple question: “Do you believe that transgender Americans should have access to gender-affirming care in this country?” Harris responded, “I think we should follow the law,” before attempting to escape by deflecting to Donald Trump. When forced back to the question, she said: “I believe that people, as the law states, even on this issue about federal law, that that is a decision that doctors will make in terms of what is medically necessary. I’m not going to put myself in a position of a doctor.”
Harris’ poor showing with the press — of which she has a long history — is bad for any party. It is particularly dangerous for Democrats. That’s because, for decades, the Democrat Party has only succeeded when its presidential candidates have sounded like the moderates they were not. Once successful, they veer left, but before they can veer, they must first get there. To get there, they must sound moderate. And to sound moderate they must effectively communicate.
Barack Obama is a good example. His most common compliment remains his “charisma.” “No drama Obama” always seemed cool under pressure and passed that along to his audience. Even Biden in
