Jen Psaki Faults a Harris Campaign Strategy

Former Biden press secretary Jen Psaki has a new podcast focusing on the troubles of Democrats, and she is dispensing advice on the show and in plugging it. Samples:

• Harris mistake: Psaki appeared on Jon Stewart's podcast and said the campaign of Kamala Harris made a mistake by over-emphasizing its ties to Liz Cheney, reports the Daily Beast. "Liz Cheney is very heroic, but I don't think closing the campaign with a message about fighting democracy with a former Republican member of Congress was the right strategy." Psaki said the strategy might have hurt efforts to reach more Democrats. "There were millions of people who didn't turn out to vote, many of whom in the past have leaned toward Democratic issues, leaned toward Democratic candidates, and Trump somehow massively won on issues like the economy," she said. "That reality means that maybe something isn't going well."

• Annoying tone: In a conversation on her own podcast with Rahm Emanuel, Psaki said Democrats tend to speak in pretentious tones when talking about issues. "It drives me insane," she said, per Mediaite. "It's like we're in a PhD thesis on political academia, which is not how you win elections." She added that she senses it with her guests on the MSNBC show Inside With Jen Psaki. Democrats often talk like they're "adjunct professors at a small liberal arts college of the Midwest," she said, using one of Emanuel's own critiques of the party. Emanuel said Bill Clinton was a master on this. "I mean, he just knew how to talk ... how people could understand without talking down to them."

(More Jen Psaki stories.)