The Daily Populous Friday May 1st, 2026 evening edition
Authored by usatoday.com and submitted by Difficult-Bee6066

May 1, 2026, 4:31 a.m. ET

Former Vice President Kamala Harris is weighing yet another presidential run in 2028, according to a conversation she had with the Rev. Al Sharpton in April.

“I served for four years, being a heartbeat away from the presidency of the United States,” Harris said. “I spent countless hours in my West Wing office, footsteps away from the Oval Office. I spent countless hours in the Oval Office, in the Situation Room. I know what the job is. And I know what it requires.”

I have no doubt in my mind that she knows what the job entails. What I doubt is that she has the backing to actually secure the presidency for the Democrats. In all of this fanfare over her potential run, my question is, “Why?”

Why is she willing to humiliate herself and the Democratic Party for a second time? Why does she think she has a better shot this time? What has she done to better the lives of people who voted for her in the months since she lost the presidential election?

I was a Harris supporter in 2024. I covered her race extensively and voted for her that November. But even I think her chances of attaining the presidency are slim – and the nation has far too much to lose to bet on her. It’s up to her to decide whether to run again – but as a Democratic voter, I’m wary of seeing her at the top of the 2028 ticket after her devastating loss.

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At least Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton won the popular vote in 2016.

Democrats won't win elections from the For You page | Opinion

Kamala Harris is doing well in polls. So what?

The polls are looking good for Harris, should she decide to run.

A new survey of registered voters from the Center for American Political Studies, The Harris Poll and HarrisX shows that 50% of Democrats support her in a presidential primary that could also include California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.

An April poll from YouGov showed Harris ahead of the competition with 24% support, and an Echelon Insights poll from a similar time period showed her at the top with 22% support.

Yet prediction markets are saying otherwise. As of April 30, both Kalshi and Polymarket put the former vice president’s odds of being the Democratic nominee at just over 9%. I’m wary of believing gamblers and pollsters alike, but these odds tell a much different story.

Sure, she’s popular with Democrats. That does not mean she’s popular with the overall population. For most people, Harris’ name carries baggage from the 2024 presidential campaign, as well as her failure to do anything of note following her attempt to reach the Oval Office. She hasn’t done much to cement herself as the new leader of the Democratic Party in the aftermath.

President Donald Trump has completely decimated the United States over the course of his second term. There is no corner of the country he hasn't affected, from mass firings of federal workers and tariffs that have raised the cost of living for American families to his attacks on trans people. Instead of standing up for the people who voted for her, Harris has been absent from the conversation that Democrats should be easily winning.

It's clear to me Harris shouldn't run. Here is why.

My problems with Harris go beyond the tired trope that a woman, especially a woman of color, cannot be president. It may not have happened yet, but to say that this is the only thing keeping her from the presidency is naive. Harris, while qualified, simply doesn’t have the popularity it would take to win against whichever Republican becomes the 2028 nominee.

Harris is not a candidate who can ignite enthusiasm among the most progressive Democrats, and she burned bridges with the establishment wing of the party when she published her memoir in 2025.

On the presidential campaign trail, Harris failed to establish a clear message on affordability, continuously touted the lethality of the U.S. military and gave non-answers on the situation in Gaza and transgender issues. She aimed for the middle by following the playbook that former President Joe Biden had laid out for her, and ended up pleasing no one in the process. Her role in his administration, as well as the way she came to be the nominee in 2024, still casts a long shadow over her legacy.

Though Harris would not be running against Trump in 2028, she would be running against someone – be it Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio or some other Republican waiting in the wings – who is hand-selected by the president. The Republicans will select someone molded in Trump’s image to see if they can pull off another eight years of complete political dominance.

Even if Democrats like her, Harris would be a weak candidate against any of the Republicans mentioned. She does not have the messaging down, and the country can’t afford another vibes-based election. If she does run again, it'll just be a replay of what happened in 2024.

Follow USA TODAY columnist Sara Pequeño on Bluesky: @sarapequeno.bsky.social

kafka_lite on May 1st, 2026 at 11:42 UTC »

I have an idea. We should let everyone run who is eligible and wants to run. Then we should hold some kind of a preliminary vote to decide which candidate we should go with.

kneeco28 on May 1st, 2026 at 11:09 UTC »

> Yet prediction markets are saying otherwise. As of April 30, both Kalshi and Polymarket put the former vice president’s odds of being the Democratic nominee at just over 9%.

Obviously this whole article is stupid, but this part is particularly eye-rolling. Pundits should just ignore betting markets nonsense.

Jeremisio on May 1st, 2026 at 11:07 UTC »

I think that’s literally everyone’s opinion