April 3, 2022

Vice President Kamala Harris sat down with Joy Reid to answer a wide range of questions during an in-depth interview that aired on the evening of April Fool's Day. Rest assured, though, Harris' answers to Reid's questions weren't reflective of any kind of foolishness. Not one fraction of an ounce.

The entire interview is worth your time, but of note is Harris' insistence on placing responsibility (BLAME, if you will) where it belongs for any discontent with limits on what Dems have been able to deliver: on Republicans.

Reid began by noting a recent NBC poll, "showing a disconnect between the performance of the economy and as you said, you know, the actual substance of what has been passed, and what American voters have received." She continued, "And people's contentment, including with the administration, there is an enthusiasm gap that's north of 10, 12%. Republicans are more enthusiastic than Democrats, and dig down into the numbers because many in the Democratic base don't feel they have gotten what they voted for, what they were promised by the Biden-Harris campaign, now that it is the Biden-Harris administration."

The dreaded "enthusiasm gap." Reid, however, tried to focus on the two Democrats (by registration, at any rate) often blamed for blocking progress.

"One of the reasons for that is that Senator Joe Manchin, Senator Kyrsten Sinema have stood in the way of extending the child tax credit, have stood in the way of increasing the minimum wage, and many of the Build Back Better bill, have stood in the way of passing voting rights," said Reid. "Are Senators Manchin and Sinema, in the view of the White House, are they allies of this administration, or are they opponents?"

Harris didn't even flinch, nor did she mince words or wait longer than two seconds to make sure Republicans entered the picture as the true obstructionists.

"Not one Republican voted for the American Rescue Plan, which brought $1400 checks to people when they needed it most, when we had millions of people out of work through no fault of their own," Harris pointed out. "Not one voted when we're extending the child tax credit and working parents know what that meant, and what it means in terms of helping them get through the days and the month, and satisfy their basic responsibilities to parent their children."

EXACTLY. Where were the Republicans? Where is the outrage from Dems against them? Why does an allegedly "liberal" media insist on focusing blame on two Democrats who often caucus with Biden when there are fifty Republican senators who are also voting against their constituents' getting $1400 relief checks and extensions on significant child tax credits?

Then, Harris began doing what, frankly, the media needs to do more. Tell the truth about what the Biden-Harris administration has accomplished.

"When we look at what we achieved in terms of putting in place a system around getting vaccines for people so that now over 200, I think 15 million people have been vaccinated in our country, and as a result, we've been able to reopen our schools, 99% of them are reopened. Businesses are reopening," said Harris. "These are the achievements that were made possible in spite of the fact that not one Republican in so many of these policies voted. So I'm not going to get caught up in kind of an internal firing squad, when you gotta look at the fact that if we're talking about party politics, you've got a system where you also have an entire group of people who I believe have diverse interests and needs, but are for some reason falling in line behind a party instead of behind a policy that actually is in the best interest of their constituents."

Good for Vice President Harris. It's a true leader who protects everyone in her caucus, regardless of whatever internecine squabbles emerge within the incredibly diverse party Democrats strive to be. She knows the message Democrats need to send is that the real problem, the real obstructionists are the Republicans, who couldn't care less if their constituents can pay their rent in the midst of a global pandemic.

As for the biggest contributing factor to the enthusiasm gap? Later in the program, Kurt Bardella joined the panel and nailed it.

It's the media, stupid.

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