Of Kamala Harris

While VP and Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris has been often criticized for “word salad,” nobody has taken the time to posit why she speaks that way. Many years ago in my Zelig like life, I encountered the possible POTUS at an earlier stage of her political career.

This experience leads me to offer up a theory as to her particular leafy language choice. This theory also offers up a cautionary tale for all.

At my former law school, years ago, I attended an event honoring Kamala Harris. At the time, VP Harris was the California State Attorney General. The event likely occurred about the time of her run for the United States Senate seat.

I begged my future wife to come with me. I coaxed her with a Nostradamus-like offering: “who knows?” I told her, “she could eventually be President of the United States.”

I also purchased a ticket for the event for my best friend, a well-respected Democrat Party operative. He, at the time, was in the midst of his own political campaign. Securing a Kamala Harris endorsement would place another feather in his cap. I was happy to serve as an instrument for his success.

The then Attorney General Harris arrived at the event. My friend instantly noticed that she didn’t have any person to “staff” the event. My friend, seeing her in need, took over. He jumped in and started to work the event for Ms. Harris.

Staffing an event, I would learn, is a term relating to handling the talent. In essence, it allows the politician to maximize their engagement by having others take over the necessary but burdensome matters. Thus, he collected business cards for her as well as acted as her impromptu photographer.

I was impressed by my friend’s juggling of mass quantities of cell phones for photo ops. He shot each press of the flesh picture with Annie Leibovitz-like artistry.

Attorney General Harris spoke after getting her prestigious award. For large portions of her speech, both my wife and me were taken aback. Neither one of us understood what she was saying.

My inability to understand a speaker is not an uncommon experience. It happens. Thus, my impression that then Attorney General Harris was speaking above me was not astonishing. I found her an intelligent person who was much brighter than I.

Out of then Attorney General Harris’ speech, however, she did have a moment in which I understood what she said. She spoke of putting the parents of truant kids behind bars. With this, my future wife and I were in disbelief over this policy.

When a policy such as that was played out, a child literally had the power put their parents behind bars. In essence, the law weaponized a disobedient kid with the power to thrown their parents in jail.

Outside of her truancy comment, I left the event believing that then Attorney General Harris was some sort of genius. Her lofty manner of speech remained beyond my comprehension. My future wife felt the same way.

My overall impression of then Attorney General Harris was that she was pleasant, accommodating, and looked very professional.

With her rise to becoming the VP, I have had ample opportunities to view her public speaking at a variety of engagements. Many of these video clips have been critical of her speech and often labeled it as “word salad.”

In light of that, I had to re-appraise what I experienced with my own eyes and ears. Was I subjected to “word salad” and I didn’t know it? Based upon the evidence, my answer is most likely so.

The Theory

The question presented is why would someone use “word salad” speech?

Word salad speech has been defined by Merriam Webster as a string of empty, incoherent, unintelligible or nonsensical words or comments. Word salad, according to George Will, can include academic jargon.

Word salad, in the right setting, can be effective. An audience unfamiliar with Harris’ tendency to employ “word salad” most likely found her to be “brilliant.” Early one, she likely was received positively when she employed it.

Once someone has developed a reputation for a particular tactic for speech, audiences become all too aware of it. President Joe Biden is notorious for bringing certain things. Mr. Biden has claimed he was grown up in the church of practically every denomination.

With increased audience familiarity to the tactic, the magical effect of the tactic diminishes. Overtime, it becomes the speech style becomes not only impotent but a liability.

The Life Lesson

Presidential Candidate and VP Harris’ “word salad” offers up a life lesson. We all have tactics that we employ in our lives that work at some point. Overtime, however, they can diminish in effectiveness. In those circumstances, change must occur. What worked in the past does not necessarily work in the present or the future.

VP Harris’ success this type of speech failed to translate in the bigger arena she entered into. Under a media microscope, and with video cameras abound, her speeches and interactions are readily available for consumption.

Once an individual views the multitude of small sound bites of her use of “word salad”, the once effective way of communicating became a liability rather than a strength. The past, unfortunately, is neither the present or the future.

Thus, this post’s point is to address the notion that we, as individuals, must be cognizant of our lives new realities. The great singer/songwriter Mr. Warren Zevon best expressed this notion in the most profane of ways. Essentially, he sang that “the things that we used to do, don’t work no more.”

In sum, this Post presents a cautionary tale that circumstances change. One must always be aware of that fact and continually gauge our effectiveness. Nothing in life, unfortunately, is a forever strategy.

Be well!!

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