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Kamala Harris has been advancing with ease in the political arena, stepping quickly onto the national stage from her former role as California's attorney general. Now working in D.C. as a senator with a spot on the intelligence committee, she's been caught up in the midst of the action of the Trump-Russia investigation. Her questioning has allowed her to make inroads with Americans across the country as they watch her lay into officials from the Trump administration and then explain the significance on the TODAY show the next morning.
So, could she run in 2020? Depends who you ask, but here are seven signs Kamala Harris will run for President.
Before you begin saying that she's not experienced enough to run, take into consideration where Obama was at in his political career before he became president. He, for one, had never served as a state attorney general, a statewide office — she arguably has more political experience than he did. In that role she also went after big banks, winning some $25 billion for California homeowners that were treated unfairly in foreclosures, for example.
Now, by joining the intelligence committee, she should be able to grow her foreign policy experience and make a valid argument about her preparation for the post, especially if she's running against President Trump. So don't dismiss the possibility. Harris says she's not interested ("I am not giving that any consideration I’ve got to stay focused"), but these seven signs would beg to differ.
1) Meeting Clinton & Obama Bundlers
This is the newest and largest development on the topic. Over the weekend, Harris headed to the Hamptons to meet some big time Democratic fundraisers. They've been supporters of Clinton and Obama, and the money that they can raise makes a presidential run possible.
2) Speaking At Washington Think Tanks & Institutes
Another thing that speculators on Harris' 2020 bid have watched is her growing list of speaking engagements. McClatchy's D.C. bureau reported that Harris was a keynote speaker at the National Democratic Institute’s Madeleine Albright luncheon in May.
Also of interest is her appearance at the Ideas Conference, a sort-of CPAC for the left. Her fellow speakers were all top notch, and there's probably at least one other presidential contender among them.
3) Going After Trump
Her position on the intelligence committee puts her smack dab in the middle of the action, and if you pay attention to her presidential questioning of officials like John Kelly, Secretary of Homeland Security, you'll see how she is positioning herself for future nationwide campaigns. She barely gave him a word in edgewise.
4) Fundraising For Colleagues
Not only has Harris been making a name for herself, but she is helping Democrats along the way. Being from donor-rich California doesn't hurt, and Harris is sharing her list to fundraise for other senators like Claire McCaskill of Missouri. That will win her supporters inside the party.
5) Getting Tight With Journalists
It's one thing to ask the questions during a senate committee meeting, but it's quite another to get to be the voice of Democrats on programs like TODAY. That's some great PR, and her team is on it.
6) Avoiding Controversial State Issues
This isn't necessarily something new, but it does show her cautious attitude — for years, she hasn't taken sides on issues that could hurt her in a national race. Back in California, she avoided speaking about her position on statewide propositions like Prop 47, which reformed drug sentencing. So in essence, she's been running — or at least thinking about it — for quite a while.
7) Google Autofills It
Look, this is perhaps not the most scientific meter on interest in her running, but go ahead and type "Kamala" into Google. "Kamala Harris 2020" and "Kamala Harris for president" are the top two suggestions from the autofill. (And if Google says it, it must be true.)
Obviously even Harris herself won't decide whether or not to run for some time to come, but it definitely appears as though she is considering it.
