The Rise and Fall of Kamala Harris: Understanding the Narrative Shift

Kamala Harris was once the rising star of the Democratic party, hailed as the "next Obama." However, since becoming vice president, her conventional wisdom has shifted from rising star to political underachiever. This radical change in perception has sparked questions about what led to her fall from grace. Elaina Plott Calabro, a staff writer at The Atlantic, joins Ezra Klein to discuss her experience traveling with Harris and sheds light on the factors contributing to this sudden shift in narrative.

Key Takeaways:

• Harris's profile has shifted significantly since becoming vice president, from being seen as a rising star to a political underachiever.
• Critics have questioned what happened to the "smart-on-crime prosecutor" we once saw, and what the White House has done to build her profile.
• Elaina Plott Calabro, a staff writer at The Atlantic, suggests that Harris is not as one-dimensional as perceived, and that her politics are more nuanced.
• Harris's experience as a Black, female law-and-order Democrat in 2019 created a cognitive dissonance, but this profile no longer represents her.
• Since becoming vice president, Harris has been subject to criticisms and controversies, resulting in her reputation being reassessed.

Statistics:

• No specific numerical data is mentioned in the article.
• However, the article mentions a 2019 profile of Harris by Dana Goodyear in _The New Yorker_, which described her as a Black, female law-and-order Democrat.

Sources:

• "The White House Has Gaslighted Us About Kamala Harris" by Dana Goodyear (_The New Yorker_, 2019)
• The Atlantic, where Elaina Plott Calabro is a staff writer
• The Ezra Klein Show (produced by the New York Times Opinion Audio)
• Various online platforms (_The Room_, _Spotify_, _Apple Podcasts_)
• _The Ezra Klein Show_ production team