The Democrat Party has spent the past year doing what it does best: navel-gazing in the most public, hand-wringing way imaginable. After President Trump’s decisive 2024 victory, party insiders promised a period of deep reflection. A genuine reckoning with why American voters rejected their message so thoroughly. Surely, they said, this time would be different. This time, they would listen.
Well, the introspection appears to be over, and the results are in. If you were hoping the Democrats might emerge with fresh ideas or new faces, prepare yourself. The party that promised reinvention has apparently decided that what America really needs is a rerun. Same cast. Same script. Different year.
From Axios:
Harris announced many more stops on her tour to promote “107 Days,” her story of her short presidential campaign last year. Tour stops in early 2026 will include the historically critical primary state of South Carolina and cities with many Black voters, including Detroit, Jackson, Miss., Memphis, Tenn., and Montgomery, Ala.
She appeared before the Democratic National Committee. Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, mingled with national party officials and state party chairs in Los Angeles this week during the DNC’s winter meeting.
The Definition of Political Insanity
I’m using that phrase intentionally. Because yes, Kamala Harris — the same Kamala Harris who lost to President Trump in both the Electoral College and the popular vote just over a year ago — is reportedly laying the groundwork for another White House run in 2028.
One might think that losing on every possible metric would prompt some humility. Maybe a quiet retirement to write memoirs and collect speaking fees. But this is the modern Democrat Party we’re talking about. Self-awareness isn’t exactly their strong suit.
The book tour stops tell you everything you need to know. South Carolina. Detroit. Memphis. These aren’t vacation destinations. They’re early primary states and cities with significant Black voter populations. Her spokesperson offered the kind of meaningless corporate-speak that Washington insiders mistake for profundity, promising Harris would continue “listening to the American people” and “helping shape the path forward.”
Here’s the thing, though. The American people already spoke. Loudly. Definitively. They chose someone else.
A Convenient Reinvention
What makes this potential campaign even more ridiculous is Harris’s sudden rhetorical transformation. Pay attention to this pivot. The same woman who spent 2024 defending the Biden administration’s record at every turn has now discovered that “both parties have failed to hold the public’s trust.”
During her DNC speech, she proclaimed that “government is viewed as fundamentally unable to meet the needs of its people” and that Americans are “ready to break things to force change.” She even called President Trump a mere “symptom” of a bigger problem.
“We cannot afford to be nostalgic for a flawed system that failed so many,” she added.
This from someone who was quite literally part of that system until January. The audacity is almost admirable. Almost.
The DNC faithful ate it up, naturally. When Harris mentioned “the future” during her remarks, someone in the audience reportedly shouted “You!” Unironically. Without a hint of embarrassment. It’s a moment that perfectly encapsulates the hermetically sealed bubble in which these people operate. DNC chair Ken Martin even joked that Doug Emhoff could be the “future first gentleman.” The room laughed. Most of America, I suspect, did not.
A Party Adrift
Harris isn’t the only Democrat eyeing 2028. California Governor Gavin Newsom has been making his own moves. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker recently headlined a DNC fundraiser. The polling data is scattered and contradictory — Harris leads in some national surveys but trails both Newsom and Pete Buttigieg in New Hampshire, that traditionally crucial early state.
But the real story isn’t who’s ahead in meaningless early polls. It’s that the Democrat Party, after all its promised reflection, appears ready to recycle the same candidates and the same ideas that voters just rejected. The roster is limited. The message is incoherent. And the answer to “what went wrong?” seems to be “nothing, really, let’s just try harder.”
Next week, Harris will appear on Jimmy Kimmel’s show. Because when your political brand is struggling, the obvious solution is retreating to late-night television where the questions are pre-approved and the studio audience claps on cue. Bold strategy.
Key Takeaways
- Kamala Harris is positioning for a 2028 presidential run despite losing both the Electoral College and popular vote in 2024.
- Her new “both parties failed” rhetoric directly contradicts her 2024 campaign defending the Biden administration.
- Democrat Party insiders remain enthusiastic while ignoring the clear message voters delivered last year.
- If Harris represents the Democrats’ best hope, conservatives have good reason for optimism heading into 2028.
