Fox News op-ed treats Harris tell-all as five missteps hindering 2028 bid

An opinion column on Fox News asserts that Kamala Harris's new tell-all book about the 2024 campaign signals five major career missteps that could complicate any bid for the White House in 2028. The piece, by Thomas G. Del Beccaro, portrays the memoir as a window into what the author calls missed opportunities and leadership gaps during Harris's ascent from California attorney general to vice president.

It notes Harris's book, 107 Days, as a candid account of the campaign, and asserts Harris failed to apply the game of addition principle, a concept the author credits to Reagan biographer Craig Shirley. The op-ed argues that successful politics, in addition, comes from expanding coalitions and building practical support rather than drifting into ideological lanes.

First misstep cited is Harris's breakup with Willy Brown. The piece describes Brown as a mentor who advised her career and helped craft a pragmatic political approach. It argues that as Harris moved left over time, she distanced herself from Brown’s practical, center-right playbook, which the author says reduced her appeal to independent voters and wider audiences. The narrative frames this as a retreat from a more centrist path she once could have leveraged in California and nationally.

Second, the column contends Harris did not engage in retail politics. It says she benefited from favorable conditions in California, campaigning less vigorously for attorney general and later for the U.S. Senate in a state with a favorable media environment. As a result, the piece asserts she failed to build durable, broad-based alliances within the state, a shortcoming the author argues contributed to struggles in national races, including the 2020 presidential cycle where she faced questions about momentum and coalition-building that did not materialize as a robust national organization.

Third, Harris never cultivated Democrat leaders. The author argues a vice president with presidential ambitions should roam the country, helping fellow Democrats win office and forging relationships that can be mobilized for future campaigns. The piece contends Harris did not systematically expand her network of party allies, which the author says weakened her political leverage when seeking support for a nationwide bid.

Fourth, the column says Harris never took responsibility for her campaign. It notes that the tell-all has spawned discussions about accountability, with the author asserting that donors and the public respond to accountability and clear stewardship. The piece criticizes the campaign for what it characterizes as blaming others and highlighting endorsements rather than owning strategic choices and expenditures in the run-up to 2024.

Fifth, Harris never established a vision for the future. According to the author, the post-election book timeline centers on past events rather than offering a substantive forward-looking policy platform. The column argues that elections reward credible plans and that a lack of a compelling future-oriented vision undermines leadership perception, especially for a potential 2028 campaign.

Taken together, the author concludes that Harris has not demonstrated the kind of leadership and strategic perspective commonly associated with enduring presidential candidates. The piece portrays the memoir as reinforcing concerns about readiness for a higher office and raises questions about whether Harris is positioned to mount a successful 2028 bid, at least in the view of this Fox News opinion contributor.