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Breaking Promises: A Harris Ally’s Perspective on Politics and the Power of Listening

In Citizen
January 18, 2025

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Discussion on Politics

A supporter of Kamala Harris accuses Joe Biden of not keeping his word.

An interview with Senator Laphonza Butler, a member of the Democratic party from California, as she finishes her last week in the Senate.

Written by Lisa Lerer

Laphonza Butler has been a senator from California for approximately 15 months, despite having been a trusted partner of Vice President Kamala Harris for 15 years.

This week, I had a conversation with Butler, who has been partnered with Harris for a long time. They first met when Butler was a union leader in Los Angeles. Butler’s unique perspective helps shed light on why her party lost the presidential election and how they can work towards rebuilding.

Harris has not discussed much publicly about the reasons for her loss. According to Butler, some of the blame lies with President Biden, as she thinks he went back on his promise not to run for re-election. However, simply blaming Biden is not sufficient. Butler believes that Democrats need to stop talking and truly listen to others.

Governor Gavin Newsom selected Butler to take over the U.S. Senate position that became vacant after Senator Dianne Feinstein passed away in September 2023. Since Feinstein chose not to seek re-election, this week marks her final days in office. On Monday, Representative Adam Schiff will officially become California’s newest senator.

The interview was shortened and made clearer by editing it.

LL is asking for the reason behind Harris’ loss.

LB: The American people desired a shift in leadership. They were looking for a candidate who they believed embodied change. That could be the main reason for their choice.

Was it a mistake for Biden to run for

When President Biden first took office, he mentioned that he would be a transitional leader. Many people were expecting this from him. It might have been better for him to stick to that initial plan. Despite this, we cannot overlook the accomplishments of his presidency. In the future, his time in office will be seen as very influential. However, it is important to uphold the expectations that were set from the beginning.

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