Hey Reddit, I sat down with Kamala Harris at her home in April to learn more about why the Democratic Party and the Biden administration have been reluctant to embrace her readiness to step in as president.

The possibility that an incumbent might die in office has not been a significant issue in most U.S. elections during the past half century. But given President Joe Biden’s age, many are wondering if Harris is prepared for the presidency—and few people seem to believe she is. I explain through my reporting what they’re missing.

For the past eight years, I have reported extensively on national politics and Congress. I’ve traveled with Harris to Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, and Reno, Nevada, as well as to Africa, for my reporting. You can read my story [here](https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/11/kamala-harris-vice-presidency-2024-election-biden-age/675439/) and an interview about writing this feature [here](https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2023/10/kamala-harris-narrative/675616/). You can browse my previous political reporting [here](https://www.theatlantic.com/author/elaina-plott/).

Proof: [https://twitter.com/TheAtlantic/status/1714298975594201508](https://twitter.com/TheAtlantic/status/1714298975594201508)

by theatlantic

11 comments

  1. What projects has she been working on in her time as VP? Doesn’t seem like she gets as much coverage as prior VPs.

  2. Do you think she’s the future of the Democratic party or do you think she’ll drop out of sight after her vice presidency run is over?

  3. Is Kamala Harris involved in White House decision making similar to how Joe Biden was in President Obama’s White House?

  4. Hi Elaina,

    It seems like the Obama era unearthed a lot of the hidden racism in the country, and then the 2015/6 election cycle unearthed a lot of mysogyny. Still, we came close to having a Hillary administration – do you think that there will ever be a black woman as POTUS?

  5. Kamala is a cop and would be a terrible president. Why does the Democratic Party insist on shoving the most unlikeable people down the public’s throat?

  6. A lot more small candidates are moving towards common sense policies. What are her views on that? Too many politicians are focusing on big picture problems while little things are getting neglected.

  7. I know this isn’t super relevant to the post but…

    How do you see things shaking out with the Speakership? Also, how do you see the next month playing out for the House?

  8. I have found her very disappointing as a VP and I thought she had great potential.

    What happened to her really working on border issues and what has she been doing? Is she not doing much *or* why would the Biden administration not be advertising her accomplishments? Are we, the American public, missing something?

  9. What are the Vice President’s opinions about legalizing marijuana and addressing the harms that she participated in when enforcing the “war on drugs?”

  10. Is the VP considering running for President after the second term is over?

  11. Given how hated she is among the right, and how much dislike/apathy there is for her in the center and even on the left, is there any way she could realistically win a presidential election?

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