Democrats are now saying the quiet part out loud: They want Kamala Harris to keep hiding from the press.
In a Sunday interview with NBC, Democratic pollster Cornell Belcher shut down PBS’s Amna Nawaz’s pleas for Harris to talk to journalists.
“Interviews are where candidates face rigor and skepticism and questions about issues that they’re not raising on the campaign trail and in monologue,” Nawaz (rightly) explained. “It opens it up to a conversation in a way that’s good for voters and good for democracy.”
But it’s not good for Democrats, Belcher shot back: “As a campaign hack, no. She should be talking to the voters and barnstorming the way they do . . . I don’t want her talking to you all right now.”
Harris isn’t “talking to voters” as much as talking at them — from a teleprompter at rallies that insulate her from any risk of an actual interaction that could prove embarrassing.
Belcher didn’t even have to explain why he doesn’t want the Democratic nominee sitting down for even gentle media questioning: Everyone knows she’d choke.
Even a friendly reporter might be tempted to ask about her flip-flops on issues like fracking and health care — or for details on any of her policy ideas.
She might get caught in a lie, like when she told Lester Holt she had visited the border, and he promptly called her out.
Or take refuge in word-salad.
Or dissolve into a fit of giggles.
Democrats gain nothing from letting Harris “face rigor and skepticism and questions about issues,” and risk losing big-time: Harris’ track record in her 2019 prez run (which didn’t make it into 2020) shows that the more voters learn about her, the less they like her.
All Dems want voters to know is that she’s not Donald Trump, she’s younger than Joe Biden and she’s four-square for truth, justice and the American way (plus abortion rights).
As for face time with the press being “good for democracy” . . . well, maybe after Election Day.
Fact is, Belcher was being too honest for a “campaign hack” in explaining things so clearly.
And, indeed, way more honest than all the media figures running interference for Harris’ post-COVID update of Joe Biden’s 2020 basement strategy.