Kamala Harris is extremely unpopular even within her own party. And this was made even more obvious during this past week.
As Harris was snubbed at the DNC by her own party during the nomination.
As the Democratic National Convention (DNC) took its symbolic roll call on Tuesday, the cracks within the Democratic Party became glaringly evident.
In what should have been a moment of unity, 44 delegates voted “present” instead of casting their vote for Kamala Harris, a gesture that highlighted the severe and growing division within the party.
The roll call vote, while symbolic, served as a barometer for the level of dissent simmering beneath the surface of the Democratic establishment.
Although Harris had already been officially nominated as the party’s candidate in a virtual roll call earlier in the month, the 44 present votes were a clear rebuke of the Biden-Harris ticket, especially considering the motivations behind these dissenting votes.
Among those who voted “present” were likely members of the “Uncommitted” protest movement, a faction within the Democratic Party that has expressed profound disillusionment with the Biden administration’s policies, particularly concerning the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The Daily Caller reported that the movement, consisting of at least 36 delegates, felt “deeply hurt and betrayed” by President Biden’s decision to continue funding what they describe as “war crimes and the mass killing of Palestinians.”
This protest vote is not just a symbolic gesture; it is a manifestation of the deep ideological rift within the Democratic Party, a rift that has been exacerbated by Kamala Harris’s controversial positions and her close association with the Biden administration’s foreign policy decisions.
For a party that has long prided itself on diversity and inclusivity, the stark opposition to Harris’s nomination from within its own ranks is a glaring contradiction.
The state of Minnesota, home to Harris’s running mate, Tim Walz, emerged as a hotbed of dissent, with 10 delegates voting “present.” This is particularly significant given that Walz, as the governor of Minnesota, should have had a solid base of support within his home state.
Instead, the large number of dissenting votes from Minnesota underscores the growing discontent with the Democratic ticket, even within Walz’s own backyard.
The rebellion, however, was not confined to Minnesota. Delegates from Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas, and Washington also registered their discontent by voting “present.”
The 44 votes against Harris are more than the 37 delegates who pledged to vote “Uncommitted” before Biden’s departure from the race, indicating that the opposition to Harris is not only persistent but also growing.
According to NBC News, Harris secured 4,567 delegates in the official virtual roll call, far exceeding the 1,967 delegates needed for the nomination. But numbers alone do not tell the full story. The significant number of present votes represents a broader discontent that is not reflected in the official tally.
The fact that nearly four dozen delegates felt compelled to openly dissent against Harris’s nomination speaks volumes about the underlying tensions within the party.
Washington State’s Yaz Kader and Sabrene Odeh were among those who voted “present” during the online roll call. Kader, in particular, made it clear that his vote was a protest against the Biden-Harris administration’s foreign policy, specifically its handling of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
“I entered my vote on behalf of a 10-year-old who was bombed and killed on her 10th birthday,” Kader told the Seattle Times. In total, nine delegates from Washington State voted “present,” further illustrating the depth of opposition to Harris’s candidacy.
These votes are not just about policy disagreements; they are about the moral and ethical direction of the Democratic Party. The fact that delegates felt the need to protest against Harris, who was supposedly chosen to unify and energize the party, is a damning indictment of her ability to lead.
Kamala Harris, once seen as a rising star within the Democratic Party, is now at the center of a growing storm. Her candidacy was supposed to galvanize the party’s base, bringing together diverse constituencies and bridging the ideological divide between the party’s establishment and its progressive wing. Instead, Harris has become a lightning rod for discontent, with significant portions of the party openly rejecting her leadership.
This division within the Democratic Party is not just a temporary blip; it is a symptom of a deeper, more profound crisis. The party’s leadership, epitomized by figures like Harris and Biden, has failed to address the growing concerns of its more progressive members, particularly on issues like foreign policy, social justice, and economic inequality. As a result, the party is fracturing, with no clear path to reconciliation.
The Democratic Party is facing a moment of reckoning. The significant number of present votes during the DNC’s roll call, coupled with the nightly protests in Chicago, are clear signs that the party is deeply divided. Kamala Harris, far from being a unifying figure, has become a symbol of the party’s internal discord. As the 2024 election approaches, the Democrats must confront this division head-on or risk tearing themselves apart.
For Republicans, this division within the Democratic Party represents an opportunity. The discontent and disillusionment among Democratic delegates and voters are palpable, and the GOP must capitalize on this moment to present a unified, coherent vision for the future.
With Kamala Harris struggling to gain the full support of her own party, the Republicans have a chance to appeal to disaffected Democrats and independents who are looking for strong, principled leadership.
Stay tuned to Prudent Politics.
