Washington: Kamala Harris is to become the face of Democratic attempts to reach young voters, despite claims in a new book that she ducked tough assignments and is thin-skinned, with “rabbit ears for criticism”.
The vice-president is hoping to reshape her image after Indonesia visit to meet Asian leaders, and a plan unveiled by her office to hold a series of rallies at universities in mainly swing states. The urgency of her campus mission has been underlined by polling this week suggesting two thirds of younger voters believe President Biden, 80, does not “inspire confidence” and does not have “the stamina and sharpness to serve effectively” for a second term.
Kamala fares no better in the polls
Kamala is reeling from unflattering revelations in The Last Politician, by Franklin Foer, a study of the first two years of the Biden administration. Foer claims that she simply gave up trying to tackle illegal immigration from Central America, one of the main tasks given to her by Biden.
“Kamala possessed what one of her colleagues described as ‘rabbit ears’,” writes Foer, a journalist with The Atlantic, who said he conducted nearly 300 interviews for the book. “Whenever there was a hint of criticism of her, she seemed instantly aware of it. Rather than brushing it aside, she wanted to know who was speaking ill of her and what they were saying.” Foer wrote that she “froze out” an aide she suspected of co-operating with reporters.
“She let the criticism guide her. Instead of diligently sticking to the Central America assignment, she seemed to accept the conventional wisdom about it. It was a futile gig, so she let it fall to the side, missing an opportunity to grind her way to a meaningful achievement.”