In late 2021, almost a year after her nomination as vice president, Kamala Harris was not exactly living up to expectations as the first woman to hold that position. And this was also by virtue of the fact that, at the time, she was supposed to be the political heir to Biden, about whom there were already several doubts circulating with respect to a reapplication for the election we are experiencing today.
Concerns about Harris were also and especially about her differences with Biden, against whom, during the Democratic Party primaries, she went so far as to be very harsh and accuse him of favoring segregationist policies. She, as a black woman and because of the public persona she wanted to build for herself in the political arena, is certainly much more left-wing than the current president. In addition, she came to the vice presidency with much less political experience than Biden, which made her period of adjustment to the role even more difficult.
Kamala Harris attacca Biden durante il dibattito per le primarie del Partito Democratico in occasione delle elezioni del 2020
In short, it has not been easy for Harris to approach the White House so directly, though not with the highest office. What’s more, the Biden administration itself has not done much to help her; rather, Harris has often had to juggle tasks and subjects that are not very suitable for her or unpopular, such as handling the immigration crisis or regulating artificial intelligence.
For many, in fact, Biden’s choice was entirely conscious, aimed at not creating internal countercurrents that could have damaged his image, even in view of a possible reelection as president.
The very image that Kamala Harris had to build for herself also did not particularly help in the early days. Harris’s political career within the Democratic Party always had to contend with that of a former prosecutor who was very intransigent with crime. Her image as a tough-fisted black woman did not favor her during the period when the Democratic Party had to support the Black Lives Matter movement’s protests and demands for police funding cuts.
So Harris had to adapt to the demands of her advisers, who instead required her to focus on the role of “first black woman”-first black woman to become prosecutor, first district and then general, first black woman vice president-and civil rights activist. And while she was not too far removed from the latter role, her identity shone through especially when that of former prosecutor emerged, where she obviously always felt comfortable.
It is a duality, however, that has never done her political figure any good, with voters always branding her as inconsistent. And, as mentioned, the vice presidency has not helped her at all, maintaining her reputation as someone unfit for the role.
Kamala Harris e Joe Biden a Washington
That was at least until recently. Lately, in fact, Harris has risen in the ranks of voters and the Party, in part through assignments more in keeping with her background and personality, such as the battle against abortion where she has particularly distinguished herself during debates and interviews.
And when rumors of Biden’s possible retirement became more pressing, Harris’s figure experienced a new spring. Many think her rhetoric is capable of taking down Donald Trump in a possible debate, and her ability to empathize with the electorate could help her regain voters’ trust after Joe Biden’s disastrous campaign.
Now that Biden has retired and after he has issued an endorsement to his vice presidential running mate, what everyone is asking is: Is Kamala Harris capable of winning against Donald Trump? Voters wonder; Democratic Party figures wonder; Trump himself probably wonders; pollsters certainly wonder.
With the right vice president – Michigan Governor Gretchen Withmer and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro are playing it out – Harris could beat Trump in these two states, greatly increasing her own chances.
Chances that, in the latest polls conducted, were not too favorable to the likely new Democratic Party nominee. After the TV debate between Trump and Biden, polls said Harris would hold the same results as Biden, and they confirmed the same after the attack on the Republican candidate in Pennsylvania. Per CNN, Harris would recover four of the six percentage points currently separating Biden and Trump-not enough to win the election, however.
It is clear that Harris starts at a disadvantage: she has a few months to mount a better campaign than Biden has so far, while inheriting the millions she has raised so far. In addition, her status as the second woman candidate, after Hilary Clinton, should succeed in further stirring up feminist organizations. But it is up to Harris to convince Dem leaders that she is the right person to replace Biden.
The article Kamala Harris explained comes from TheNewyorker.
