Asked whether she’ll accept corporate campaign contributions in the future, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., gave the “wrong answer” at a town hall in Sacramento last week.
When an audience member wanted to know whether Harris, a possible 2020 candidate, would take campaign money from corporations or “corporate lobbyists,” the senator paused for a moment and replied, “it depends.”
“Wrong answer,” the man interjected, speaking for plenty of progressive voters in the Democratic Party’s base who detest corporate campaign cash.
“Well,” said Harris, “that’s not the answer you want to hear— it doesn’t make it wrong.” After assuring the man she “appreciate[d] the reason” he asked, Harris argued she’s an “open book” when it comes to campaign contributions, and invited him to look at her donations and “draw your own conclusions about what has motivated me.”
Not a bad answer, but certainly not the right one when it comes to wooing progressives.
Harris, who supports so-called “Medicare for all” and free public college tuition proposals, has demonstrated a surprising willingness to buck the base. She spoke out against identity politics and purity tests last year only to double down this spring. In July, Harris embarked on a tour of the Hamptons to meet with major donors to Hillary Clinton, Washington lobbyists, and business titans. The corporate contributions she accepted in 2016 have already been the subject of complaints from some on the Left.
To some, the coupling of Harris’ progressive streak with her disinterest in obsessively placating to the base might make her a more formidable candidate. But in today’s Democratic Party, it could make for a tough hurdle to clear, especially since many of the freshman senator’s likely competitors have already positioned themselves to her Left. But it’s only 2018, and there’s still plenty of time for Harris to change her mind.
