Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event in Washington Crossing, Pa. on Oct. 16.Matt Slocum/The Associated Press

Kamala Harris is a money magnet. She has raised more cash – a cool US$1-billion and counting – since becoming the Democratic nominee in July than any previous presidential candidate over a similar time span. She is racking up campaign donations at twice the pace of her Republican rival, Donald Trump, and flooding swing-state airwaves with far more ads.

Since replacing President Joe Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket, Ms. Harris has received largely uncritical coverage from most of the mainstream U.S. media, which have also focused relentlessly on Mr. Trump’s lies, gaffes, insults and mental instability.

The boosterism passing for journalism from which Ms. Harris benefited during the summer catapulted her into the stratosphere of sudden media stardom. She became the newest “It” politician, even though she had spent more than three years as Mr. Biden’s mostly unseen and unloved Vice-President, with the worst net VP approval rating on record.

Yet, with all these variables lined up in her favour, Ms. Harris’s candidacy is treading water.........

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