There’s no room for a return to politics for these individuals. Their actions and decisions have proven they are unfit for public service, and it’s time to ensure they don’t hold political power again.
The Harris-Walz Campaign team’s recent appearance on ‘Pod Save America’ shows how operatives who have spent their entire careers cycling through campaigns, corporate boardrooms, and consulting firms produced a campaign that failed to inspire or connect with voters.
John Ross
Pod Save America Reflects on Harris-Walz Campaign Missteps: How They Lost Every Swing State and Handed Trump Another Term
Pod Save America recently hosted senior staff from the Harris-Walz campaign for a candid panel discussion on their historic loss. This marked the first time the team publicly reflected on their strategies, offering a unique opportunity to analyze the campaign’s leadership and decisions. Here's a closer look at the players involved and the lessons learned.
Key Players
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Jen O’Malley Dillon, Campaign Chair
A veteran of President Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign and Biden’s 2020 run, O’Malley Dillon served as a senior White House aide before managing Biden's 2024 campaign. Known for her role in delaying Biden’s withdrawal from the race, she co-founded Precision Strategies, a consulting firm with corporate clients like Microsoft and CVS. -
Stephanie Cutter, Senior Advisor
Cutter has a storied career in Democratic politics, working for leaders like Ted Kennedy and Barack Obama. She co-founded Precision Strategies and played a critical role in defending controversial bailout policies during the 2008 financial crisis. -
David Plouffe, Senior Advisor to Kamala Harris
As the architect of Obama’s 2008 campaign, Plouffe transitioned to corporate lobbying, including efforts at Uber to oppose reclassifying drivers as employees. His strategic missteps, including urging Biden to stay in the race, contributed to the campaign's collapse. -
Quentin Fulks, Deputy Harris Campaign Manager
Fulks, a rising star in Democratic politics, led advertising efforts for Harris after a stint with Biden’s reelection campaign. Despite internal polling showing dire prospects, Fulks publicly insisted the campaign was in a strong position.
Lessons from Defeat
Lesson #1: Defend the Indefensible, Even When the Writing Is on the Wall
In the aftermath of Biden’s disastrous debate performance against Trump, the campaign entered what Fulks described as “crisis management mode,” desperately propping up Biden despite internal polling showing he was headed for a landslide loss.
As co-host Jon Favreau revealed post-election, Biden’s team misled both the public and Democratic insiders, claiming Biden was the strongest candidate while internal data showed Trump poised to win 400 electoral votes. This delay in transitioning to Harris squandered critical time and momentum.
Lesson #2: Failure to Adapt Doomed the Campaign
Even after Biden’s withdrawal, Harris and her team struggled to present a compelling alternative. Harris tied herself to Biden’s legacy, famously stating on The View that she wouldn’t have handled anything differently during Biden’s presidency. Meanwhile, she alienated progressives by floating the idea of including a Republican in her Cabinet.
Stephanie Cutter later admitted that Harris’s perceived continuation of Biden’s policies—particularly on the economy—was a significant liability. However, loyalty to Biden prevented her from taking bold, distinct positions.
Lesson #3: Misplaced Priorities and Misguided Outreach
Rather than focus on energizing disillusioned progressives and young voters, the campaign prioritized appealing to moderates and conservatives unlikely to support Harris. This miscalculation further alienated key constituencies essential for victory.
Final Thoughts
The Harris-Walz campaign's failure to inspire or connect was rooted in leadership dominated by establishment figures cycling between political campaigns, corporate boardrooms, and elite consulting firms. Their inability—or refusal—to adapt, combined with misplaced loyalty to an unpopular predecessor, sealed their fate.
The Pod Save America interview highlights a troubling pattern among Democratic leadership: a resistance to self-reflection and a persistent failure to learn from their mistakes. If the lessons from 2024 are not taken seriously, the party risks repeating history.
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