Kamala Harris always fearless when opportunity arises

George Skelton, Tribune News Service

Kamala Harris is one step from becoming America's first female president because she has always had the drive and guts to risk seeking a higher office. That is not a common trait among politicians. Too many at all levels get cold feet and opt to wait for the "right time" to run. And it never comes. Harris' philosophy: If there's an open window — no matter how narrow — attempt to jump through it before it closes. And get a head start on anyone else who might acquire the same idea. Regardless of your view of Vice President Harris — whether you think she's qualified to lead the nation or not — it's indisputable that she has boldly taken advantage of every opportunity to move up the political ladder.

That was true when the little-known prosecutor first ran for San Francisco district attorney against an establishment incumbent in 2003 and won. And when she leaped into the race for California attorney general as an underdog and barely won in 2010. Also when a Senate seat suddenly opened up and she immediately jumped in and coasted to victory in 2016.

She didn't hesitate to run for president in 2020. That turned into a disaster. Or did it? She was tapped to be vice president. You can't advance upward without taking the next step — can't win a race without running. It's like the citizen — too rare — who doesn't just gripe about the government, but tries to do something about it. He or she shows up to speak out at city council meetings or helps a favored political candidate, or maybe that person even runs. It requires a tough hide because there are lots of body blows in politics. It's not for the timid or soft.

"She has a reputation for being cautious as a policymaker when in office," says longtime Democratic political strategist Darry Sragow. "By contrast, when she has an opportunity to seek higher office, she moves very boldly. That willingness to charge forward has served her very well." Harris never shied away from a race for fear of losing or the hard work required for victory — or hoping for better odds in the future. "Political graveyards are full of people who wait," says Ace Smith, chief strategist for Harris' successful campaigns for attorney general and the Senate. "Opportunities are hard to come by. People always waiting for the right opportunity never succeed."

A classic example: New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, widely considered a potential front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988 and 1992. He teased us with the prospect, but never ran. Finally, he was defeated in a fourth-term reelection bid. "I tip my hat to people who run — people who wade into the unknown without any assurances," Smith says. "Sometimes you never know how things are going to break." For example: In Harris' race for attorney general, she was the underdog against Republican frontrunner Steve Cooley, a three-term Los Angeles County district attorney. But during the campaign's lone debate, Times reporter Jack Leonard asked Cooley whether he planned to "double-dip" by taking both his district attorney's pension and attorney general salary — a total of $425,000 annually.

"Yes, I do," Cooley answered without hesitation. "I earned it." The Harris campaign used all its scarce money to run TV ads depicting Cooley as a greedy politician supping at the public trough. It also helped Harris that Cooley was a Republican in a Democratic state. She eked out a narrow win. Harris always announced her candidacy early. Rather than playing coy, she shouted commitment. "Fundamentally, the best place to be in politics is having people reacting to you," Smith says. "Get into a race early. Scoop up endorsements. Scoop up the money. Build a big support base. Other people who are thinking about running may let it go by. It compounds their difficulty." When Sen. Barbara Boxer announced in January 2015 that she would not seek reelection the next year, Harris announced within days that she'd run for the office. She had wanted to run for governor when Gov. Jerry Brown was termed out in 2018. But the Senate seat was available now. Meanwhile, then-Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom called Harris to say he planned to run for governor.

That wasn't a backroom deal, insists Smith, who was also Newsom's chief strategist. Both San Franciscans decided on their own what office they wanted to seek. But being bold and leaping into campaigns "is a double-edged sword," Sragow points out. "Candidates sometimes get into races that really don't work well for them. They don't have enough money or an effective message." Harris was a textbook example in 2020 when she jumped into the presidential race. She had an unsteady message and was overmatched. But she was smart enough to bow out before any primary contests were held. And she avoided losing in her own state. Ultimately, she was chosen by Joe Biden as his running mate.

Harris already is a historic figure. The daughter of immigrant parents — a father from Jamaica and a mother from India — she's several ethnic and gender firsts to hold her various offices. Soon she could be the first woman to occupy the Oval Office. "She's run as an underdog before and she's used to being underestimated," says Dan Morain, a former Times reporter who wrote a very readable 2020 Harris biography, "Kamala's Way: An American Life." "She runs harder and runs faster than her opponents. Nobody's going to outwork her." Right now I'd bet on Harris. Donald Trump shows signs of harboring a political death wish. And she'll take full advantage of it.