There's definitely some truth to that. The media gave Kamala front-runner status in the 2020 primary and she blew it so hard she dropped out before a single vote was cast. If we're being as generous as possible, we might describe her as, "unproven." There was never any real indication she had decent political instincts or could draw people in, and it's unlikely that she would have won in a competitive primary. Internal criticism is necessary to root out ineffective strategies (and candidates), but there was never a time when that was really permissible in this cycle.