Have Democrats Had an Effective Leader Since Obama?

Julia Azari: “Arguably, part of the problem that Democrats now face is that Biden has never seemed like a full-fledged party leader. He was a long-established party figure, which worked well for explaining why he was qualified to serve as president, appeal to different constituencies, and burnish a national reputation. But his national vision has always been a bit piecemeal, formed from different problems he hoped to tackle (some successfully!) and opposition to Trump and Trumpism, often referred to as ‘threats to democracy’ in very general terms.”

“Harris’s role as vice president has meant that she’s faced the same challenges as many others in that position when it comes to establishing herself as a party leader. And it’s trite and obvious to say, but as a presidential candidate, she simply didn’t have much time.”