Kamala Harris’ CNN Town Hall 'Disaster' Considered 'The Last Straw for Many Democrats

Vice President Kamala Harris struggled to make a convincing case for her presidential bid during Wednesday night's CNN town hall, two commentators remarked on Thursday.

In a YouTube clip from The Morning Meeting, commentator Mark Halperin pointed out that Harris' appearance occurred amidst “not great” recent trends for her campaign.

“It doesn’t mean Trump’s universally loved by America. It doesn’t mean Trump is guaranteed to win, but right now, the Democratic Party is facing increasing challenges,” Halperin explained.

He continued, “You saw it last night in the analysis from Democratic commentators on CNN and on morning TV.”

“For Democratic analysts attempting to keep a straight face, it’s clear they’re sensing what many Democratic donors and elected officials are feeling — there’s no time left for her to improve,” he said.

Halperin emphasized, “The biggest story in the news cycle, alongside ‘Trump loves Hitler,’ which we’ll address, is that her performance last night was the final straw for many Democrats.”

“No more of this idea that ‘the more she speaks, the better she’ll become,’” he added, saying that Democrats largely viewed the town hall as a “disaster.”

In the same video, commentator Dan Turrentine pointed out Harris' visible reaction during the event, observing that her face showed “almost surprise and discomfort” when questions were posed.

Turrentine criticized Harris as appearing “cold,” in contrast to former President Donald Trump, who “is clearly enjoying himself.”

“It’s evident that she’s struggling right now to answer the crucial question of ‘Why should I support you?’” Turrentine said.

Columnist Shadi Hamid of The Washington Post expressed frustration over the town hall, saying, “Maybe just not being Trump is enough, but I think voters want more than a lesser-of-two-evils argument or ‘vibes,’ and she struggles to deliver that.”

Hamid also noted, “Another issue we saw is that she still has difficulty answering questions directly and clearly. Part of the problem seems to be that she lacks strong core beliefs, so she ends up calculating her responses instead of just stating what she truly thinks.”

“Voters value conviction and authenticity. That’s central to Trump’s appeal: You might not like what he says, but at least he says what he believes,” Hamid continued.

In the same Washington Post piece, Matt Bai expressed surprise at Harris’ inability to answer familiar questions.

“At this late stage of the campaign, I’m surprised by the answers she still doesn’t have,” Bai wrote. “She’s been asked countless times about her shifting positions on fracking and healthcare, yet she hasn’t come up with a straightforward answer. It’s hard to understand. If people are wondering why she isn’t pulling ahead in the race, they saw the answer last night.”