To the Editor:

On paper, Kamala Harris has a stellar résumé. She has held statewide office and is now a senator, and she has African-American and Indian roots. Seems like the ideal candidate for an anti-Trump triumph? She should be able to prosecute a case against the president, whose “crimes and misdemeanors” are on full display. But her campaign has not delivered a winning argument and has not been able to make the case.

First, winning a very blue state like California is no test of national appeal, and by becoming a senator, you become part of Washington. Can she appeal to more of the country than coastal elites?

“Harris Revealed an Early Knack for the Jugular” (“The Long Run” series, front page, Sept. 16) describes her ambition, like her breaking a pledge for a voluntary campaign spending cap, or hiring an oppo researcher who got caught. She also has tacked back and forth between regular people and the powerful and shifted her positions.

Ambition is not enough, as David Leonhardt points out in his Sept. 16 column, “How Kamala Can Make a Comeback.” A candidate also has to have a message. Clearly, being “For the People,” Ms. Harris’s slogan , is not enough, and many Democratic voters want to do more than defeat President Trump. First they want to know how you will defeat him, then they want you to have a plan, and more.