Kamala Harris has been lying low since her defeat in the presidential race, unwinding with family and senior aides in Hawaii before heading back to the nation’s capital.

But privately, the vice president has been instructing advisers and allies to keep her options open — whether for a possible 2028 presidential run, or even to run for governor in her home state of California in two years. As Harris has repeated in phone calls, “I am staying in the fight.”

She is expected to explore those and other possible paths forward with family members over the winter holiday season, according to five people in the Harris inner circle, who were granted anonymity to discuss internal dynamics. Her deliberations follow an extraordinary four months in which Harris went from President Joe Biden’s running mate to the top of the ticket, reenergizing Democrats before ultimately crashing on election night.

“She doesn’t have to decide if she wants to run for something again in the next six months,” said one former Harris campaign aide. “The natural thing to do would be to set up some type of entity that would give her the opportunity to travel and give speeches and preserve her political relationships.”

  • xmunk@sh.itjust.works
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    8 days ago

    Harris’ political options are closed.

    Harris managed to convince the DNC to forgo a primary and annoint them and then they lost the fucking election.

    End.

    • Loduz_247@lemmy.world
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      8 days ago

      -Former VPs

      -From California

      -Lost an election < You are here

      -Ran for California Governor

      -Ran for the presidency again

    • aramis87@fedia.io
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      8 days ago

      Tbf, when Biden dropped out, there really wasn’t a lot of time to organize 50 primaries according to each state’s election rules and then get the result onto the general ballot in time for those deadlines.

    • Eldritch@lemmy.world
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      You got any sources for that? When Biden stepped down initially they were looking for who would replace him. His vice president / running mate was an obvious choice. I don’t think I ever read anything about her trying to convince them. More then trying to convince her.

      • xmunk@sh.itjust.works
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        General observations of the universe. There were discussions about having a snap primary and then suddenly Harris was the nominee.

        I can’t say for certain if she pursued that end herself but even if she wasn’t the primary architect she consented to forgo a primary.

        Edit: We’re all observers to what happened - the outcome was predictable given how the DNC has operated… how is this surprising?

        • Eldritch@lemmy.world
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          So you don’t have any actual evidence of your claims. Just biased perceptions.

          And no none of this is surprising. What would have been surprising is if anyone individually or collectively took any responsibility for this outcome. Spreading distortions and misinformation. Helping a fascist win.

          I have no real love for liberals. But all the so called lefties that felt comfortable not showing solidarity against actual fascism. Because things weren’t perfect. Get far less. Don’t get me wrong, as someone with a strong anarchist Dejacque Libertarian lean. I’m not here to force anyone to vote even. Or vote for anyone specifically. But I have no qualms about pointing out people disingenuously heaping undeserved criticism on liberals. While failing to acknowledge and learn the lessons of their own mistakes.

          • xmunk@sh.itjust.works
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            8 days ago

            I do have evidence - I saw it happen in real time like most of us did. Demanding sources for common knowledge reeks of JAQing off.

            • Eldritch@lemmy.world
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              Post them. Your reluctance to along with the accusations reeks of projection and desperation. Which is really sad as I’m not trying to defend liberals. They fucked up just like you did. And are refusing to learn the lesson just as you are. And you both will repeat the same mistakes unironically while everyone suffers.

        • corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca
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          General observations of the universe.

          I know a guy says shit like that whenever we call him on some really obvious bullshit. Its lefte biased against this, and I’m sorry for assuming you’re completely without basis.

  • circuitfarmer@lemmy.sdf.org
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    8 days ago

    Yeah, no. She’s no longer a viable candidate.

    But I’m sure the DNC will think differently, which is one more reason why this timeline is the worst.

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    I could be wrong but I think she’s done for good. She didn’t do a good enough job obviously, and advisers helped her to fail.

    • corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca
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      Jesus could have run against trump, healing the sick and forgiving loans left and right, and still the misinformationskiy would have overpowered him.

      More than half of Americans are not literate enough to read medicine warning labels.

      Its not Harris who failed the people. The problem started a decade ago.

      Secede already.

      • lobut@lemmy.ca
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        Yup. As many failures as Harris has had, it doesn’t come close to the amount of insanity it takes to justify a vote for Trump. Around half of the American voters have failed America and to me, there’s no one else to blame.

      • TriflingToad@sh.itjust.works
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        More than half of Americans are not literate enough to read medicine warning labels.

        to be fair what the fuck is an antihistamine containing hydroxyzine

        • gamermanh@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          what the fuck is an antihistamine

          Anti-allergy drug

          Hydroxyzine

          Histamine H1 Inhibitor, but what it does is a lot like an anesthetic

          So it’s an anti-allergy medication that also gives immediate relief from allergy symptoms

          I’d hope most people who passed high school science could answer what an antihistamine is, and be able to google hydroxyzine, but yeah no I shouldn’t

  • very_well_lost@lemmy.world
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    She’s welcome to try, but no universe exists in which Harris wins the Democratic primary. So unless the exact set of circumstance that led to her candidacy in 2024 are somehow repeated (fat chance), she has no path to the presidency.

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    Great, another useless figurehead. Kamala Harris took the Democratic nomination, and lost every single swing state, while her team fundraised telling us all she was going to win. She’s never getting my vote again.

        • AmidFuror@fedia.io
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          True. They only won in 1992, 1996, 2008, 2012, and 2020. That’s only 5 of the last 9 Presidential elections! And of course they lost 3 in a row from 1980 to 1988.

          Democrats definitely are good at losing Presidential elections. The only party with a similar record is the Republican party.

          • Flocklesscrow@lemm.ee
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            lol, 1992 was 32 years ago. Also the last time the Redskins Commanders won a Superbowl. 1996 was 28 years ago. Gen Z had not even been born.

            Obama won 2008 and 2012 on a campaign of Hope for Change. A populist platform. That the Dems then squandered.

            Biden didn’t win 2020, people voted against Trump. And then the Biden admin squandered the high ground. And then failed to provide for the processes to select a new Democratic leader, and instead anointed his successor, who failed spectacularly.

            But, if you can look at the last 32+ years, and rationalize it to yourself, nothing I have to add will sway your decision.

            • AmidFuror@fedia.io
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              This is some insane rationalization. 5 of the last 9, but the first 2 don’t count because they were a long time ago, and then the next 2 don’t count because it was a populist, and the last one didn’t count because the other guy was worse.

              Yeah, I guess if you look at it that way, the Democrats do nothing but lose…

                • AmidFuror@fedia.io
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                  And? 11 of the 19 is not “losing is our strategy.” It’s close to even (9.5 of 19).

                  But you forgot that none of the 8 Democratic wins count because of reasons.

  • Hugin@lemmy.world
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    A mediocre candidate who lost the 2020 primary badly and only got the VP spot because she was buddies with Bidens dead son. She them went on to lose badly to Trump.

    I voted for her but it was really a vote for Not Trump. Hopefully this the last we hear of her.

  • Optional@lemmy.world
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    Hey don’t you worry about it… In the next three point five years you’ll see an amazing growth and national prominence in the incredible third parties our “lefty” friends have been promoting as they have the time and inclination to do the hard work it takes to become a presidential contender.

    Next Presidential Election when they’re all like “I refuse to vote for either party” it’ll be because [insert party name here] has been on fire in all 50 states and is ready to take down the duopoly! Go get 'em! Everyone hates the Dems, let’s carpe the fuck outta this diem! Yeah!

    Or, y’know, just bitch about everything for 3.5 years, do nothing, and fuck it up again. Whatever. I doubt there’ll be an election anyway so - pressure’s off!

    • shoulderoforion@fedia.io
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      she’s not getting my vote again, i was willing to go with her on this last ride, because she kept telling me it was close in every swing state, then she lost them all

      • Eldritch@lemmy.world
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        I’d absolutely like to see better candidates all around. But I don’t have any issue with her if she wanted to run again. I don’t think she will win. And I don’t think the loss was strictly hers alone. This last cycle was a true cluster f***. You have to remember the week of the election. Google searches spiked regarding whether or not Biden was still a candidate.

        People are eager to deflect any blame from themselves. And push it all on to the Democratic party absolving themselves. And while the Democratic Party did run a bad campaign. Plenty of undecided had negative impact on voter turnout Etc. Of course there was always misinformation and Russian propaganda involved as well.