Kamala Harris has not yet decided if she will run for president again in 2028, but her new campaign memoir, “107 Days,” offers a candid look at her thoughts on many of her party’s next generation of leaders. The book, an advance copy of which was reviewed by CNN, is filled with comments about these potential rivals, some of whom she would almost certainly face on a debate stage if she seeks the White House again. Many of the comments are drawn from her notes from the phone calls she made in the frantic hours last July after Joe Biden dropped out and she was working to secure support to replace him.
Surprising Reflections on Running Mates
Her comments about her running mate choices, particularly about Pete Buttigieg, came as a surprise. She writes that Buttigieg was “my first choice,” making it clear that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who was so loyal to her, was not. However, she also writes that while Buttigieg would have been “an ideal partner—if I were a straight white man.” While praising him for his accomplishments and political skills, Harris suggests his sexual orientation made him an impossible pick for the country to accept.
Of Walz, she recalls his “appealing authenticity” and describes him as “plainspoken, hardworking, strong, kind, and a fighter for what he believes is right.” She was impressed by his readiness to appeal to rural and working-class voters. However, she later critiques his vice-presidential debate performance, writing that when he began “nodding and smiling at JD Vance’s fake bipartisanship, I moaned to Doug [Emhoff, her husband], ‘What is happening?'” She also notes that the “Saturday Night Live” skit about her watching the debate in horror was “uncanny in its portrait of our evening.”
Critiques of Other Key Democrats
Harris’s feelings about Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro are described as the “roughest.” Though much of what she discloses had leaked previously, she writes in the book of being annoyed with him despite his “poised, polished and personable” demeanor. She writes that Shapiro did an able job of explaining how he would handle attacks but had detailed questions about what his role would be and if he would be in the room for every decision. Harris writes that she told him bluntly that was “an unrealistic expectation. A vice president is not a co-president.” She also includes a detail about him asking what kind of artwork he could get hung in the vice president’s residence. A spokesperson for Shapiro called it “ridiculous” to suggest he was focused on anything other than the election.
Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, the other finalist for the running mate position, gets extensive praise. Harris calls him “an American hero” and “our American ideal of self-service.” She writes about his wife, Gabby Giffords, being shot and their work on gun reform. She notes she was impressed with how he handled immigration but worried he was “untested in a major political way” and would be “torn up” by the Trump campaign.
The book offers brief but telling details about other party leaders. While Buttigieg and Kelly were quick to endorse her, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker offered a “studious rationale” for his hesitation, saying, “As governor of Illinois, I’m the convention host.” Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer also hesitated, saying she needed to let “the dust settle.” California Governor Gavin Newsom’s response, per her notes, was a simple, “Hiking. Will call back.” She adds, “He never did.” Maryland Governor Wes Moore’s response was “You’ve been loyal. I respect that.”
Author’s Opinion
This memoir, coming years before the 2028 presidential election, seems like a calculated political move. By revealing her private thoughts on her potential rivals, Harris is not just telling a story but is beginning to shape the narrative for a future campaign. Her praise for some and critiques of others are likely designed to both establish her own authority and expose the weaknesses of her competition. This book is not merely a historical document; it’s the first salvo in the next Democratic primary. The candidness of her remarks, particularly about Buttigieg and Shapiro, suggests she is willing to be aggressive in defining her competition early, setting the stage for a potentially contentious battle for the party’s nomination.
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