By Dave Andrusko

We’ve written a couple of times about Vice President Kamala Harris’s “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms” tour which yesterday landed in Minnesota. It was—we were told—nothing short of  “historic.”

Because…? Because it represented “the first time a president or vice president has publicly visited a clinic providing abortion services while in office.” That no doubt explains why USA Today dispatched five reporters which allowed them to deliver “live updates” whenever Harris said anything.

You needn’t be a pro-lifer to find Harris’s trip to a place that kills unborn babies for a living repulsive. The headline today for USA Today columnist Ingrid Jacques is “Kamala Harris’ abortion clinic visit won’t make people like her more. Plus, it’s cringe.”

Harris’s trip takes pandering to a new level. Jacques writes

While her visit is being hailed as “historic” and “dramatic and symbolic,” it’s worth considering why she’s doing this. It’s a blatant attempt to pander to voting blocs that she and President Joe Biden must win over if they have a shot at a second term – and that includes Black voters and younger Americans. 

But, Jacques tells us,

Harris has turned sharply to championing abortion rights this year. …

It’s one thing to talk about reproductive rights and another to physically go to a place that routinely offers abortions – which involves the ending of a human life’s beginning. 

There’s a good reason why no vice president or president has publicly visited an abortion provider before. It’s a bad look.

I understand that it takes some stones to walk into Planned Parenthood’s St. Paul clinic, albeit Harris would not walk into the killing area. Even Democrats aren’t that callous (or stupid).

However, the problem is not just unseemly and unfeeling it is for the vice president to visit an abortion clinic. It’s the messenger. “Harris is wildly unpopular and has been throughout Biden’s term, despite efforts to revamp her image” Jacques writes. “A new USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll highlights that a paltry 36% of Americans approve of her job performance. Biden, who also faces tanking approval numbers, still beats her at 41%.”

Jacques’ last point is critically important. Four years ago it was assumed Biden would step down after one term, easing the way in for Harris to succeed him.

That hasn’t happened. And now that the American people have gotten to know Harris better, they want nothing to do with her.   

Given the very real age problems that Biden, 81, faces, there will be even more focus on Harris’ probability of succeeding him at some point during a second term. 

And that’s not a selling point. 

Neither is Harris’ abortion clinic visit. Voters should see what she’s doing for what it is – a desperate move to keep her job