With her campaign floundering and Democrats increasingly worried Donald Trump could become the next President of the United States, Kamala Harris has chosen the path of desperation. In an attempt to expand her tent, the vice president appeared at a "town hall" on Monday with Liz Cheney. 

Yes, that would be the same Liz Cheney that most left-wingers hate with a passion. Still, no one has ever accused the Harris campaign of having common sense. Thus, the show went on, and before it even started, things had already gone very wrong. When an audience member asked the moderator, Maria Shriver, if they would be able to ask questions, this was the answer. 

LOL…Kamala’s “town hall” off to a great start.

Audience member: “Will we be asking questions?”

Moderator: “You’re not, unfortunately, have some predetermined questions, uh, hopefully I’ll be able to ask some questions that might be in your head.”pic.twitter.com/x1d5plAPwV

— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) October 21, 2024

SHRIVER: You’re not, unfortunately. We have some predetermined questions, uh, hopefully, I’ll be able to ask some questions that might be in your head.

Nothing says "town hall" like pre-determined questions, no doubt submitted by the campaign itself. The statement from the Shriver that she might "ask some questions that might be in your head" is especially great. Sure, people showed up hoping to actually garner tangible information from Harris, but isn't hoping that the moderator might ask a question somewhat related to something you care about basically the same thing?

Keep in mind that we are still in the middle of a Democrat freak-out over Donald Trump visiting a McDonald's, with left-wingers letting it be known the event was "staged." Well, is a "town hall" in which no one can ask questions "staged?" Asking for a friend. 

That's not even the worst part, though. The worst part is trying to make Liz Cheney into a moral arbiter and campaign resource. I've seen presidential candidates do some really stupid things over the years, but this might take the cake. 

Liz Cheney on Monday sought to give anti-abortion voters explicit permission to support Kamala Harris, suggesting during a town-hall-style event with Harris that Republican restrictions on abortion rights had gone too far. https://t.co/U26FacVNNg

— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 21, 2024

I know The New York Times is having a bit of a banner day, but let me assure the journalists there that Liz Cheney does not have the influence to give anyone permission to do anything. She is despised by Republicans and Democrats alike, which is why it is so moronic for Harris to try to use the disgraced former congresswoman as a campaign asset.

It's not just that Cheney doesn't provide any juice for Harris. It's that she actively angers a core demographic that Harris is counting on to win the battleground states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. 

SEE: Muslim Group Slams Kamala Harris for Appearing With Liz Cheney

No one despises the Cheney family more than Arab-Americans, many of whom see them as the cause of so much death and suffering in the Middle East. Harris needs their votes, and she's instead pushing them further away just to get some backslaps from a press that is obsessed with lionizing anti-Trump Republicans. 

Don't get me wrong. I'm glad Harris is making such a big mistake, but it's such an obvious one that it blows my mind she would walk right into such a trap. Sure enough, during the town hall, a protester stood up and asked about the war in Gaza. They were shouted down and escorted out by security. 

Someone in the hall at the Harris-Cheney event yelled out, "What about Gaza?"

Attendees applauded to overwhelm the sole protester and it looks like he's now being thrown out by security.

— Daniel Marans (@danielmarans) October 22, 2024

I don't agree with that protester, given the answer to "what about Gaza" is for Hamas to surrender and return whichever hostages are still alive, but I also know that a scene like that is horrible optics for the vice president. Whatever overtures she's made to Arab-Americans were just destroyed by cozying up to Cheney and tossing out a "pro-Palestinian" protester. It's hard to fathom how a campaign could make such a mistake this late in the game.

Editor's Note: This article was updated post-publication to note that the moderator was Maria Shriver.