Kamala Harris has shown a new version of herself since becoming the Democrats’ presidential candidate.
The nominee has drawn crowds to rival Donald Trump’s rallies, rapidly grown her campaign war chest and flown up on the polls.
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It is a far cry from the vice president of the last few years who underwhelmed with her lack of stage presence, her nervous laughs and her tendency for verbose, even nonsensical utterances.
But on Thursday night, as she faced her first major test – a much-awaited media grilling – the old Kamala appeared to have made an unwanted return.
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Word salads and nonsense platitudes were back. Even the most anticipated of questions – “What would you do on day one in the White House?” – was met with a vague, rambling pledge to the “middle class”.
A relatively softball interview on Left-leaning CNN was hardly the most taxing exercise for a candidate seeking to be America’s commander-in-chief, yet Ms Harris struggled to shine under the spotlight.
It bodes ill for her upcoming debate on Sep 10 against Donald Trump, a formidable opponent who does not play by the rules.
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He is unlikely to patiently wait for her to untangle her winding answers before pouncing back on the debate stage.
Trump’s encounter with Joe Biden in June ended the president’s re-election hopes.
His successor, Ms Harris, hoped she would fare better against the Republican opponent.
But her performance in the CNN interview suggests she will find that task quite daunting.
Nevertheless, there is much the Harris campaign will have been pleased with in the 27-minute sit-down.
Her claim that her “values have not changed” was a smart play to progressives even as she runs from her one-time embrace of liberal policies.
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At the same time, she signalled a willingness to appoint a Republican to her cabinet.
That outreach will appeal to Conservatives disillusioned with Trump at a time when the former president has made clear that dissenters are persona non grata in the Republican Party.
She said, “I have spent my career inviting diversity of opinion” – a calculated strike against Trump’s claim that she is a “radical Marxist”.
Her responses to questions on the economy and Mr Biden’s record trod a delicate balance.
She demonstrated respect and loyalty to her boss while pivoting to the future with a promise to “turn the page”.
Ms Harris also deftly avoided being dragged onto the often ugly battlefield of identity politics when asked about Trump’s comments on her dual heritage.
It is a “tired playbook”, she said, resisting the opportunity to dwell on the historical nature of her candidacy.
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Instead, she offered a disciplined response that will have appealed to many Americans watching at home.
“I believe that I am the best person to do this job at this moment for all Americans, regardless of race and gender,” she said.
Most critically, the 59-year-old Ms Harris avoided any major missteps. She appeared more assured than she had done in any previous interview as vice president.
But she also missed a golden opportunity to capitalise on the energy driving her nascent campaign and put some meat on the bone with substantive policy offerings.
It was an interview as grey as her suit. Perhaps exactly what she had hoped to achieve.
But her cautious, do-no-harm approach will not be enough in a showdown with the bombastic Trump.
