Sen. Kamala Harris’s (D-CA) campaign manager is facing calls to resign due to the campaign’s continued struggles, with a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll showing the presidential hopeful tying with Michael Bloomberg at three percent support nationally.
Harris’s campaign underwent a dramatic shift in strategies in the last few weeks, closing three offices in New Hampshire and downsizing her Manchester office to focus on Iowa in hopes of reviving her dwindling campaign.
“I’m practically living in Iowa to do the work that is necessary to make sure that I earn the support and have the folks in the caucuses who are standing in Kamala’s corner,” Harris told CBS News political correspondent Ed O’Keefe in an interview this month, calling it a “very difficult decision.”
“It was a very difficult decision. But let me tell you, I care about New Hampshire,” she continued. “We still have folks in New Hampshire. I have spent time in that state. I care about the people of that state.”
“And we know that Iowa being the first state, you know, you got to be all in here in order to be able to get to the point that we can actually get to New Hampshire and other states later,” she added.
Despite those efforts — from baking cookies with supporters to visiting with small business owners — Harris is tanking in the polls. The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll released this week is devastating for the campaign, showing Harris tying with billionaire Michael Bloomberg with just three percent support:
The campaign’s stunning lack of recovery has some calling for her campaign manager, Juan Rodriguez, to resign.
According to Politico, some campaign aides “have gone directly to campaign chair Maya Harris, the candidate’s sister, and argued that Rodriguez needs to be replaced if Harris has any hope of a turnaround, according to two officials.”
One senior Harris official described the current campaign to Politico as “No discipline. No plan. No strategy.”
Politico reports:
After Rodriguez announced dozens of layoffs and re-deployments in late October to stem overspending, three more staffers at headquarters here were let go and another quit in recent days, aides told POLITICO. Officials said they’ve become increasingly frustrated at the campaign chief’s lack of clarity about what changes have been made to right the ship and his plans to turn the situation around. They hold Rodriguez responsible for questionable budget decisions, including continuing to bring on new hires shortly before the layoffs began.
…
“It’s a campaign of id,” said one senior Harris official, laying much of the blame on Rodriguez, but also pointing to a leaderless structure at the top that’s been allowed to flail without accountability. “What feels right, what impulse you have right now, what emotion, what frustration,” the official added. The person described the current state of the campaign in blunt terms: “No discipline. No plan. No strategy.”
Despite the festering concerns, there are no clear signs of Rodriguez stepping down.
“Campaigns are long and arduous, but we are all united in our commitment to making sure Kamala is the nominee to take on Donald Trump and win,” Rodriguez said in a statement to Politico.
“We have had to make tough decisions to compete in Iowa and ensure Kamala is in a position to be the Democratic nominee, but Maya, I, and the rest of the amazing team are pouring our heart and soul into winning this campaign,” he added.
The current RealClearPolitics average shows Harris polling in fifth place with 5.3 percent support.
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