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Discussing Politics
In an interview with Senator Laphonza Butler, a Democrat from California, during her last week in the Senate, a supporter of Harris claims that Biden failed to keep a promise.
Authored by Lisa Lerer
Laphonza Butler has only been a senator from California for approximately 15 months, however, she has been a strong supporter and friend of Vice President Kamala Harris for 15 years.
This week, I had a conversation with Butler, who has had a lengthy working relationship with Harris. They initially met when Butler was a union leader in Los Angeles. This partnership provides Butler with a unique viewpoint on why their political party lost the presidential election and strategies for moving forward.
Harris has not spoken much about the reasons for her loss. According to Butler, part of the blame lies with President Biden, who she thinks went back on his promise by running for re-election. However, Butler believes that simply blaming Biden is not sufficient. She suggests that Democrats need to shift from talking to actively listening and truly understanding.
Gov. Gavin Newsom chose Butler to take over Senator Dianne Feinstein’s vacant U.S. Senate seat after her passing in September 2023. Since Feinstein opted not to seek re-election, this week marks her final days in the Senate. On Monday, Representative Adam Schiff will officially become the state’s latest senator.
The interview was shortened and made clearer for easier understanding.
LL: What do you believe was the reason for Harris’s loss
LB: The American citizens desired a shift in leadership. They were looking for a candidate who they believed embodied change. I believe that’s the gist of it.
Was it a mistake for Biden to run for
When President Biden first took office, he indicated that he would only serve as a temporary leader. This was the expectation that people had, so it might have been better for him to stick to that plan. Despite this, his presidency has been successful and will likely be remembered as one of the most significant in my lifetime. However, once you set an expectation with people, it is important to follow through on it.
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