Staff members are deserting the White House office of Vice President Kamala Harris in a Great Resignation as her poll numbers sag and new allegations of staff bullying by the Veep emerge from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., reported the Washington Post.
Harris spokesman “Symone Sanders is leaving the vice president’s office, the highest-profile member of an end-of-year exodus that includes communications chief Ashley Etienne and two other staffers who help shape the vice president’s public image.”
Staffers who have worked for Kamala Harris say one of her consistent problems is that she refuses to wade into briefing materials prepared by staff members, then berates employees when she appears unprepared because she wouldn’t do the necessary prep work. https://t.co/X0HsOHefJm
— James Hohmann (@jameshohmann) December 4, 2021
Generally a vice president is slated to become the de facto leader of the party after the president is finished serving in office. Part of the exodus from Harris’ staff could be because her colleagues thinks she’s not up to the task of leading the Democrat Party once President Joe Biden is done.
“As of Nov. 30, 41% of registered voters had a favorable opinion of Harris and 52% had an unfavorable opinion — a net rating of -11 percentage points, according to a Times average,” reported the LA Times about Harris’ flagging polls.
“One recurring theme [by departing Harris staff members], though, is concern — even fear — about career harm by being too closely linked to a flagging operation” run by Harris reported Axios.
“Axios is told some Harris staffers want to work on Biden’s reelection campaign, while others don’t want to be aligned with Harris in the event another promising Democrat runs for president in 2024.”
The allegations of laziness, poor preparation skills, and impolite behavior by Harris are nothing new. For the 20 years that she’s been in the public eye, they’ve been a constant source of embarrassment for her.
“Critics scattered over two decades point to an inconsistent and at times degrading principal [in Kamala Harris],” the Post reported, “who burns through seasoned staff members who have succeeded in other demanding, high-profile positions.”
But this time people who are normally used to working for demanding, insensitive and selfish politicians fear that Harris can’t quite make it to the next level, so the sacrifices of dignity may not be worth it.
“People used to putting aside missteps, sacrificing sleep and enduring the occasional tirade from an irate boss say doing so under Harris can be particularly difficult,” the Post reported, “as she has struggled to make progress on her vice-presidential portfolio or measure up to the potential that has many pegging her as the future of the Democratic Party.”
