After an eventful week in which she became the Democrats’ de facto nominee without collecting a single vote in a presidential primary during her notorious political career, Vice President Kamala Harris’s so-called “honeymoon” period is coming to an end.

Now, Harris must justify her radical-left past, the shortcomings of the Biden-Harris administration, and media pressure to participate in one-on-one interviews.

Politico Playbook said on Monday that Harris and the rising campaign brain trust “share the notion that altering the foundations of the race will be tough with a calcified electorate and fragmented media environment”:

For Harris, cutting through the clutter in a constructive way is probably going to be challenging.

Following many embarrassing moments during his vice presidential campaign, Harris avoided media attention and hasn’t participated in a single one-on-one interview since emerging as the front-runner. As of now, Harris has not faced any opposition over her radical-left background, which suggests she may not be the most qualified choice to succeed President Joe Biden.

It’s going to be really difficult, and we need to be very clear-eyed,” a Democratic senator told The Hill on Monday.

In response to Democratic concerns over Biden’s political viability, the media has thus far praised Harris’s campaign, but Harris must persuade voters—not the media—of her suitability for the presidency.

In a recent Economist/YouGov poll, only 39% of registered independents believe Harris is “qualified” to be president. Furthermore, ninety-two percent of registered voters feel Harris was “engaged,” at least somewhat, in the cover-up, out of the 54 percent who think there was a “cover-up of Biden’s health.”

Former Democratic governor of Nevada, Steve Sisolak, told the New York Times on Monday, “I would call it a honeymoon phase.” “We must maintain the enthusiasm. Now that you’ve got the momentum going, it’s important to sustain it. As a result, everyone will face challenges.

In private, Democrats are voicing their reservations about Harris’s candidacy. According to a source who was privy to the internal talks and spoke to The Hill, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) was reportedly “lukewarm” about Harris being the nominee, a sentiment seemingly shared by the party’s upper echelons.

Regarding Harris’s 2020 presidential candidacy, a Democrat senator told The Hill, “She wasn’t a fantastic candidate.” Harris withdrew from the race prior to the Iowa Caucuses. The senator said, “And she might not be as skilled a political campaigner as Biden was in his heyday.”

A third senator described the paradox Harris would encounter: she will be campaigning on the unfavorable Biden-Harris record while simultaneously endorsing Biden and the administration in the face of criticism that will reveal her own Senate record.

The senator cautioned, “She has to define herself.” “She lacks name recognition in economics, but she possesses the skills, and Biden has the track record.”