LOS ANGELES.–Once it became clear Nov. 5 that 60-year-old Vice President Kamala Harris would not launch her “joy” presidency, she’s fallen of the map, last seen taking vacation in Hawaii. Kamala actually has more work to do in her last two months in office with the Mideast and Ukraine raging, and American citizens living in the streets. But Kamala took what she thought was a well-deserved vacation after spending over billion dollar, the most expensive presidential campaign in U.S. history. Kamala hasn’t digested the sting of defeat, losing every battleground state and the popular vote by 2.5 million to 78-year-old former President-elect Donald Trump, now assembling his Cabinet to hit the ground running on Jan. 20, 2025, Inauguration Day. Kamala had her handlers couldn’t get over the magnitude of her defeat, with most Democrat strategists scratching their heads.
Kamala now contemplates life after serving four years as Vice President and before that four years as California’s senior senator. Some speculate that Kamala could throw her hat in the ring in 2026 for California governor, when Gov. Gavin Newsom finishes his term. But if Kamala has any ambition to try her luck for president in 2028 she can’t run for governor knowing she’d run for president two years later. Others think that Kamala could wait for the next Democrat administration to nominate her for the Supreme Court. But that would be a crapshoot, considering that there’s no way of knowing in 2028 whether a Democrat would win the presidential election. Kamala’s GOP critics think that she shouldn’t take a well-deserved vacation after losing the run of her life. Kamala really believed the polls that thought she had a shot of beating Trump.
While considered today because of name-recognition the Democrat front-runner for 2028, Newsom, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer would give Kamala a run for her money in any primaries. Kamala didn’t do too well in the 2020 Democrat primaries with Kamala dropping out of the race before the Iowa Caucuses. Kamala got very little traction, polling about three percent, while 82-year-old President Joe Biden dominated the 2020 primaries. Voters were so fearful of Covid-19 spreading death around the country, they jumped on the Biden bandwagon early on. So, maybe 2020 wasn’t the best test of Kamala’s past strength. Voters certainly know, after winning nearly 75 million votes, Kamala is a vote getter. Running and winning Calif. governor could upend Kamala’s chance to redeem herself against most likely GOP nominee, Vice President J.D. Vance.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Kamala deserved to spend time with her family after the election. “The vice president has take time off to go spend with her family. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. I think she deserves some time to be with her family and to have some downtime . . .” said Jean-Pierre. Kamala’s critics say there’s far more work to do in getting Biden’s judicial picks ratified in the Senate. “She has worked very hard over—for the last for years and her taking a couple of days to be with her family, good for her. Good for her,” Jean-Pierre emphasized. Kamala and Joe should spend their remaining days working on crises in Ukraine and the Mideast. Neither should do anything to make the transition more difficult for Trump who wants to end the Ukraine and Mideast Wars through diplomacy, negotiation and compromise.
When you think about Kamala’s future, it’s really dependent on what happens over the next four years with Trump. If he reverses inflation, boosts the economy, fixes the border and settles the Ukraine War quickly and moves on to settle the Mideast wars, Vance would be a shoe-in in 2028. Part of the reason Kamala lost was because enough voters thought the country was going in the wrong direction, feeling squeezed financially from inflation. Kamala ignored ordinary voters concerns during the 2024 campaign, spending her time on civil, gender and women’s rights, but, most of her time, slamming Trump as a dictator, fascist, unhinged and unfit for the president. Voters disobeyed the mainstream media that pushed for Kamala’s election. Voters got fed up with all the Democrat brainwashing the Trump would ruin 250 years of American democracy. Voters didn’t buy Kamala’s arguments.
When Kamala finishes her term, she most likely will spend time teaching somewhere or paving her way for a run at California governor. It’s doubtful she could convince voters that she wouldn’t run for president in 2028, only two years after taking over for Newsom. On the other hand, Newsom won’t give the same deference to Kamala in 2028 and would work to undermine her 2028 presidential bid. Newsom wants to be recognized as the heir apparent to the 2028 Democrat nomination but, truth be told, Kamala holds that position now. After winning nearly 75 million votes, Kamala can make a good case for her to represent the Democrat Party. So, when it comes to Kamala’s future, it’s all about what she wants to do. Once Democrats get over Trump’s landslide, they can work on taking back the House and Senate in 2026 Midterm election, something that’s not too far off.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging the Bullet and Operation Charisma.
