Nah, Harris is busily doing that all by herself. But her ineptitude on the crisis in Israel is making things much worse for her.
Neither Michigan nor Minnesota are worth the kind of grief the Biden admin – including Harris – is creating for itself. Sacrificing millions of votes not only in this election but in contests to come for the sake a few hundred thousand that might or might not even vote is gross political incompetence. The Jewish vote has been staunchly Democrat for the last seventy years at least. Losing that part of the Democrat coalition will damage the party permanently.
Assuming they survive losing this election. Wouldn’t bet on it.
The Biden Admin has been undercutting their support for Israel since the conflict began in a hopeless attempt to placate the most insane part of their base and to win a handful of Muslim votes in Michigan.
Michiganders must be so proud.
The reason the US historically does not deal with hostage takers is that it encourages the taking of hostages. Most of Europe does pay ransoms and they have an endemic problem with having hostages taken. The US sends Navy SEALS and we rarely see US citizens taken as hostages.
The Democrats, starting with Obama, had better ideas. Well, those better ideas have resulted in Hamas holding American citizens hostage since October 7th and in the senseless execution of one of those hostages over the weekend. The Biden Admin has been pushing for a ceasefire instead. A ceasefire that Hamas repeatedly rejected.
We pay to keep well equipped and trained Special Forces. We pay for very expensive and very effective aircraft carriers. Can we start using them properly now?
That question is going to keep coming up whether CNN and MSNBC like it or not. Harris is Vice President and not even Democrats believe Joe Biden is acting in his capacity as President. So, Madame Vice President, what is the plan?
Crowds have packed the streets of Tel Aviv demanding a peace deal to get the hostages released. Can’t fault them in the least, but the more liberal Tel Aviv isn’t exactly in touch with reality. The Netanyahu Admin is unlikely to change course simply because they can’t. You can’t get a hostage release from terrorists that don’t want to release the only bargaining chip they have left.
Hamas is not made up of geniuses. The October 7th Massacre was a form of slow suicide. Israel won’t stop until Hamas is destroyed. The non-geniuses do have enough sense – NOW – to realize that the instant the hostages are safe and free, the IDF will be back and this time, they will finish what they started.
Because they have to. Otherwise, there will be more massacres. Terrorists only understand terror. The only way to stop them from committing atrocities is to make dang sure they know they will face the full wrath of a military they cannot hope to defeat. Israeli or US, makes no difference.
What does make a difference is allowing the crisis to drag on by slow walking aid deliveries. Congress already authorized aid to Israel but Biden’s admin keeps deliberately holding back delivery.
Gotta get those Michigan votes, don’t cha know?
The faster Israel gets Gaza under control and Hamas destroyed, the better off the Gazan people are. Egypt ain’t taking them as long as Hamas still survives because they don’t want the headache so those that want to flee to Egypt are trapped in Gaza. The Navy told the Biden Admin the stupid pier was not designed for open sea use and reality moved in to prove them right way too quickly. Can’t get the people out or supplied and Israel can’t risk stopping now. How do you plan to solve this, Madam Vice President?
Today, not on January 20th. This is a now job, not a Day 1461 job. Let’s see you be all presidential. Now, please.
As sad as it is to say, the deaths of six hostages will not make or break Harris’ chances. But how she handles the crisis will count. We’re in the final stretch of the election. The polls are beginning to be useful as undecideds begin deciding. Some of those undecideds will not look favorably on the Harris Admin’s mishandling of the Israel crisis.
In reality, Biden remains president. But no one believes Biden is calling the shots. People are looking to Harris as de facto President. Harris has to step up and do the job. Now. Today.
Otherwise, the Israeli Hostage Crisis will only become one very big, very sharp nail in the Harris campaign coffin.
The American people are paying attention. This is the most attentive they will be for four years. They want to see a President. They aren’t picky about which one. But Biden can’t take the reins without destroying Harris’ campaign – people won’t like the replacement of a perfectly good president as nominee if Biden suddenly proves capable. That leaves Harris to do the job.
If she doesn’t, her campaign is over. If she performs poorly or fails miserably, her campaign is over. If she doesn’t get a half decent deal, her campaign is over.
If she comes through like a champ, she could win the election. This is her moment to shine and eclipse Trump.
She’d still have to deal with the Bidenomics fallout and the shoddy way she’s run her campaign so far, but a major win in Israel could be the real bump she needs. IF she can then become the campaigner she should be for the barely more than two months we have left in the cycle.
One foreign policy crisis, even involving an ally like Israel, won’t make or break an election. But it can make a candidate go from pretender to contender.
Not if Harris keeps clinging to Michigan, however. Sorry, Michigan, but you can’t be kingmaker this cycle.
You might just destroy a candidacy, though.
