It's been a bad start. President Joe Biden gave his vice president only one major responsibility, and Congress has given the VP position only one ongoing major responsibility. In both regards, Vice President Kamala Harris's grade is an F.
In the long term, the border crisis will undoubtedly go down as one of the biggest domestic failures in American history. Seven to ten million illegal immigrants have invaded our country during the Biden-Harris tenure, with a countless number having smuggled (made in China) Fentanyl across our porous borders with Mexico, killing hundreds of thousands of Americans. Hundreds of migrants have appeared on the FBI terrorist list. And many have broken laws, harmed, or killed Americans.
When Harris asked if she had gone to the border to address the big problems, she said, "No, but I have not gone to Europe either." Oh well.
This invasion at our border is a present and clear violation of the Constitution, which declares that we must prevent any state from suffering an invasion.
Harris, the so-called "Border Czar," has refused to address the crisis meaningfully over the last three years. A review of her work there would warrant an F grade, yet she is seeking a promotion.
One of the few ongoing responsibilities of all vice presidents is to preside over the Senate and share with the Speaker of the House the presiding of Congress during a joint session. Usually, these addresses are reserved for world leaders who have pressing concerns they want to share with our leaders. This week, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave such a speech at the Capitol.
Harris was absent. This dereliction of duty in favor of attending a sorority group's convention is most unfortunate. It is a clear example of poor judgment. The U.S. and Israel are spending billions of dollars fighting Hamas and other terrorist groups in the Middle East. Iran's proxy, Hamas, is holding Americans hostage. Very few things should take priority over attending Netanyahu's speech, yet a sorority group's annual convention did for Harris. Thus, Harris's grade for mission two is, you guessed it, an F.
I am not convinced Harris will be the Democrats' nominee. Republicans should hold their political fire until the Democrats complete their rush to "nominate" her. Even then, I would be cautious and wait until the Democratic delegates have actually arrived in person in Chicago for the Democratic National Convention toward the end of next month.
If we have not learned anything else, what a difference two or three weeks can make.
After all, if Trump had held off on doing a debate with Biden until after their mutual official nominations, Trump could have been measuring curtains to the White House in early September after the first customary debate. Trump was tricked into debating early, and in doing so, he chased out Biden, whom he would have beaten in a landslide.
Democrats do not care about the democratic process, the votes of the people, or fairness. They only care about preventing Trump from returning to the White House. They will quickly push Harris off the stage, as they did with Biden, if or when they do not see her as being a viable candidate. Only the official acts of the convention in late August would somewhat curtail such a scheme.
Let us all remember that Harris polled so badly when she ran for president in 2020 that she failed to make it to the first primary. As a short-term senator, she had little to no legislative achievements when Biden made her his running mate.
Harris's accomplishments? As attorney general of California, she went after "bad guys." That's okay. But being president is not about "asking tough questions" but about "answering tough questions." We have yet to see how she can handle an open news conference with top-level reporters.
Can the Republicans be patient? No one is betting on that. They are classic George Foreman-type fighters, susceptible to Muhammad Ali's "rope a dope" tactic. Republicans will attack, attack, attack, punch, punch, punch in the early rounds, even before Harris becomes the official Democrat candidate, only to force her out for someone else.
Republicans must remember that the liberal media and Democrat leaders are all-in - they will do whatever is necessary to defeat Trump.
Unlike Vice President Humphrey who had to earn millions of votes when President Lyndon B. Johnson stepped down, Harris has only had to compete for a majority of the 4,700 delegates to win. The nomination is being handed to her. A charmed life.
Democrats are allowing Biden - the worst president in U.S. history (via having the lowest sustained approval rating in recorded history) - to anoint his successor when his successor's approval ratings have actually been below his for almost his entire presidency.
It is not logical. But to stop the bleeding, all the Democrats have acquiesced, and some have even sucked up to Harris in their quest to be her running mate.
Democrat leaders seem to forget about norms, customary party practices, or democracy. Harris has moved forward within hours, without a political speech, without any knowledge of her political agenda, without expressing why she should be president, even without telling us her hallmark achievements as a legislative figure.
But let us remember Biden's parting words: "Nobody has a better chance of beating Trump than me." I believe that deep in his heart, had the money not stopped coming in, Biden would still stand by those words. Yet reality said Biden had "zero" chance of winning in November. But when have today's Democrat leaders believed in reality?
Finally, Harris does deserve an A+ for teleprompter reading. Biden helped bury this as a lost art.
Gary Franks served three terms as U.S. representative for Connecticut's 5th District. He was the first Black Republican elected to the House in nearly 60 years and New England's first Black member of the House. Host: podcast "We Speak Frankly." Author: "With God, For God, and For Country." @GaryFranks
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