Leadership

[George K]

From the RWEC

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The momentum toward a Donald Trump victory became apparent early enough in the evening for both campaigns to adjust to the outcome. That's when candidates have to make plans for either a long night of vote-counting or a concession speech. At the very least, candidates -- even losing candidates -- are expected to show up, if for no other reason than to greet the people who came to see her.

Instead, Kamala Harris unburdened herself of what had been -- her supporters:

Vice President Kamala Harris did not speak as election night turned into Wednesday morning as supporters gathered for what was supposed to be a celebration at her alma mater, Howard University.

Harris will address the nation later Wednesday, her campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond votes told a thinning crowd gathered at her watch party at Howard University after midnight.

Photos show partygoers leaving and Harris supporters crying as results continued to come in that showed her falling behind in key states.
Put aside the breach of etiquette in not offering a concession speech or a call acknowledging defeat. That had been customary until 2016, but hasn't been practiced since. That custom has a real purpose, too -- it allows the winner to deliver a victory speech while his own supporters are still gathered without stepping on the defeated opponent's time. However, Hillary Clinton refused to follow that precedent, and Trump refused to accept the defeat on Election Night four years ago too.

That still leaves the haughty arrogance of leaving one's own supporters without so much as a personal "thanks." They didn't show up to hear from Cedric Richmond or to get an e-mail from Jen O'Malley Dillon. They came out to support Harris through the thick and thin of an Election Night that already had plenty of portents for failure before the supporters ever arrived. The least they could have gotten in return was a candidate that stuck with them for as long as they stuck with her.

Instead, Harris went to bed. And even worse, Richmond and Dillon told those supporters to show up the next day instead, as if they had nothing better to do than be at the beck and call of an autocrat who couldn't be bothered to address them the first time.

I can't think of a better example of how Harris failed the test in this election cycle. Harris wouldn't talk about her policies, wouldn't talk about her positions, and largely wouldn't say anything other than she was raised in a middle-class household. Harris instead demanded the vote on the basis of Trump being a "fascist," and tried to frighten her way into the White House.

And when it became clear that Harris failed, she bailed.

That may be many things, but leadership it ain't.

I may not have agreed with her supporters, but they deserved better than that. So does the country -- and we made that clear last night in a way that, as Duane just wrote, wasn't even close.