When Sen. John Kerry John Forbes KerryThe Memo: Warning signs flash for Trump on debates Divided country, divided church TV ads favored Biden 2-1 in past month MORE was going to run for President, John McCain John Sidney McCainAnalysis: Biden victory, Democratic sweep would bring biggest boost to economy The Memo: Trump's strengths complicate election picture Mark Kelly: Arizona Senate race winner should be sworn in 'promptly' MORE, his fellow decorated Vietnam veteran, gave him some advice.

McCain told me that he advised his Democratic colleague: “This hero stuff gets you in the door; but you need to have something to say when you get there” To drive the point home to Kerry, he noted that John Glenn, a Marine veteran and celebrated astronaut, “was a bigger hero than either of us,” and his presidential candidacy never got off the ground.

This may be the lesson of Kamala Harris Kamala HarrisHundreds of lawyers from nation's oldest African American sorority join effort to fight voter suppression Biden picks up endorsement from progressive climate group 350 Action 3 reasons why Biden is misreading the politics of court packing MORE, the appealing African-American California Senator. The once top-tier presidential candidate has slipped in the polls, is struggling to raise money, and is laying off staff amid speculation she may drop out before the first contests in February.

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Harris wasn't a war hero, but she had future writ large when — as a local San Francisco prosecutor — the late renowned journalist Gwen Ifill called her “the female Barack Obama Barack Hussein ObamaObama warns of a 'decade of unfair, partisan gerrymandering' in call to look at down-ballot races Quinnipiac polls show Trump leading Biden in Texas, deadlocked race in Ohio Poll: Trump opens up 6-point lead over Biden in Iowa MORE.”

She was in the presidential race this year after widely-praised performances in the Senate Judiciary Committee where she effectively tore into Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh Brett Michael KavanaughTrump faces tricky choice on Supreme Court pick The Hill's 12:30 Report: Trump stokes fears over November election outcome The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Trump previews SCOTUS nominee as 'totally brilliant' MORE and President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE's Attorney General William Barr Bill BarrHillicon Valley: Subpoenas for Facebook, Google and Twitter on the cards | Wray rebuffs mail-in voting conspiracies | Reps. raise mass surveillance concerns Bipartisan representatives demand answers on expired surveillance programs YouTube to battle mail-in voting misinformation with info panel on videos MORE. In the first Democratic presidential debate, she devastated former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenPelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Hillicon Valley: Subpoenas for Facebook, Google and Twitter on the cards | Wray rebuffs mail-in voting conspiracies | Reps. raise mass surveillance concerns Fox News poll: Biden ahead of Trump in Nevada, Pennsylvania and Ohio MORE over his earlier position opposing school busing.

Harris was riding high, climbing in the polls, and racking up endorsements. Liberal pundits like cable television's Rachel Maddow Rachel Anne MaddowGOP lawmakers distance themselves from Trump comments on transfer of power Schiff urges Trump administration members to resign: 'You cannot maintain your silence' Michael Cohen: Trump hates Obama because he's everything he 'wants to be' MORE predicted she likely would be the nominee.

The door was open.

It stayed pretty empty.

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Harris seemed confused about her position on one of the most pressing issues, health care. Initially, she supported the Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersThe Hill's Campaign Report: Trump faces backlash after not committing to peaceful transition of power Bernie Sanders: 'This is an election between Donald Trump and democracy' The Hill's 12:30 Report: Trump stokes fears over November election outcome MORE/Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenHillicon Valley: Subpoenas for Facebook, Google and Twitter on the cards | Wray rebuffs mail-in voting conspiracies | Reps. raise mass surveillance concerns On The Money: Anxious Democrats push for vote on COVID-19 aid | Pelosi, Mnuchin ready to restart talks | Weekly jobless claims increase | Senate treads close to shutdown deadline Democratic senators ask inspector general to investigate IRS use of location tracking service MORE single-payer government-run program that would eliminate private health insurance.

Pressed, she retreated, espousing a public option that retains private insurance — and assailed the Sanders-Warren plan.

She no longer is associated with any approach.

Harris has had some interesting ideas about taxes and raising teacher's pay. These pieces, however, haven’t added up to a coherent message.

The California Democrat, whose mother immigrated from India and whose father is from Jamaica, vowed to focus on race in a way that Barack Obama never did. While she talks about racial inequities and raises the matter of reparations for the sins of slavery, again it's disjointed.

The former DA and state Attorney General calls herself a “progressive prosecutor,” who’d go after Trump and his cronies. She showed her prosecutorial mettle in those Judiciary Committee forums, and the public would relish anyone who'd clear out the swamp the way Trump has not.

Voters’ top priority, however, usually isn't a prosecutor for president.

Harris uncomfortably has sought to straddle the party's left wing and the mainstream progressive constituencies. She veered left in the early phase and not just on a single-payer health care plan. She refused to take a position on Bernie Sanders' crazy proposal to allow convicted murderers and rapists to vote.

Now, out of necessity, as she shifts almost her whole campaign to Iowa, her long shot hopes rest chiefly with picking up any fallen away Biden voters. That's also the strategy of several other aspirants; they all seem to be eclipsed by South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg Pete ButtigiegBillionaire who donated to Trump in 2016 donates to Biden The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - GOP closes ranks to fill SCOTUS vacancy by November Buttigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice MORE who has soared into the top tier.

If the Harris’s presidential quest ends, it doesn't necessarily finish her political ascent. She's only 55 years old and still can be a commanding presence. She might even end up as a vice presidential running mate, as did other failed candidates, George H.W. Bush and Joe Biden.

But if Harris gets in that door, she has to have something to say.