Sarah Shahid breaks down all the important information surrounding the upcoming US Election, where current Vice President, Kamala Harris, is the new presidential nominee for the Democratic Party.
On 21 July 2024, current Vice President Kamala Harris announced her bid as President for the 2024 election, shortly following Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the ongoing Democratic campaign. The current President’s decision could hardly be considered a surprise at this point, perhaps even long overdue, after fears were reignited by the assassination attempt on presidential nominee Donald Trump, which inadvertently fuelled his martyred public image in the eyes of conservative voters.
Concern over Biden’s optics as a senior-aged candidate was already a major point of contention for the Democratic Party, but his lacklustre performance in recent debates cemented any remaining doubts over the possibility of his reelection. Biden would have to go, but who could replace him at such short notice? Vice President Kamala Harris swiftly rose to the challenge, nominated by her very own running mate as a suitable candidate. Despite the recency of this election bid, both Democratic and Republican Parties are moving at a rapid pace to secure voter bases.
However, if Vice President Harris is to become the first female President of the United States of America, she has many hurdles to overcome, ranging from her controversial reputation as a former prosecutor to identity politics. The continued debate over US involvement in the Israel-Gaza conflict also raises concerns.
At present, both critics and proponents of Harris are scrutinising and capitalising on her previous role as prosecutor within the state of California. Initially starting out as a local prosecutor, Harris worked her way up to district attorney and was eventually elected attorney-general in 2011. Her past actions as a prosecutor are seen by some as being too ‘harsh,’ with her infamously being in favour of state legislation that threatened jail time for parents of students with repeat absences. Yet on the other hand, when police officer Isaac Espinoza was shot by a gang member in 2004, Harris was adamant on not seeking the death penalty despite receiving pressure from both politicians and the larger community.
So is Harris too soft or too harsh? Republicans seem intent on arguing the former, pointing to her stance on capital punishment, whilst leftists draw on multiple examples to suggest her compliance with a ‘corrupt’ legal system that largely punishes minorities.
When 18-year-old Alan Blueford was killed by an Oakland officer in 2012, Harris, attorney-general at the time, did not prosecute the officer involved despite pleas from the victim’s family. Blueford’s mother recently spoke to The Guardian, stating that while “attorney general [Harris] made a huge mistake…,” she is still the “lesser of two evils” in comparison to Trump, and hoped the Democratic nominee would hold police accountable as President.
Aside from the balancing act of simultaneously portraying herself as a ‘tough cop’ and ‘progressive prosecutor’ to appeal to both white independents and progressives, Harris must also face accusations of being a DEI hire. DEI, which stands for ‘diversity, equity, inclusion’ is a label that has been thrown at Harris by Republicans. Harris is the first Black and Asian woman to be Vice President, and if elected, the first to be President. Her very existence is in stark contrast with an overwhelmingly white and male parliament, a point of difference that the Republican Party is unlikely to let go of.
A key strategy of Trump’s campaign will certainly involve weaponising Harris’s gender and racial heritage to push a narrative of the candidate being more socially radical than she pertains to be to secure more conservative demographics. But the question arises: who exactly will Harris choose to appease? The uncertain moderates who are likely to swing either way, or the unsatisfied leftists who require more than just trendy soundbites and tweets from the Democratic nominee.
One of the ways Harris has chosen to appeal to both demographics is by championing herself as the sole defence against ‘Project 2025’, a manifesto associated with right-wing institution ‘The Heritage Foundation.’ The manifesto is currently under fire for policy suggestions such as: dismantlement of the department of education, the complete ban of production, consumption and distribution of pornography, and restriction to abortion and ‘abortion tourism.’ The latter of which Harris has staunchly made a key focus of her campaign, appealing to female and progressive demographics.
Project 2025 has been strongly linked to Trump’s administration and policy despite his current claims of ignorance about the manifesto’s existence. The possibility of these policies becoming reality paints a nightmarish picture for American citizens, which Harris seems to realise. The Democratic nominee cleverly capitalised on her competitor’s mishap by pledging to “defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda” as one of her very first campaign statements.
Yet Kamala Harris’s attempts at attracting leftist voters have not been entirely successful, due to one key issue.
It is no secret that the US government is heavily involved in the ongoing ‘conflict’ occurring in Gaza, due to their close political relationship with Israel. Activists have urged the Democratic Party, particularly Biden, to cut military and diplomatic ties with Israel time and again to no avail. Inevitably, this has led to concerned voters becoming increasingly disillusioned with the Democratic Party, with a sizable amount completely refusing to partake in the upcoming election.
But after Biden’s withdrawal, hesitant voters dared to hope for a change in policy from his replacement. In a marked shift from her predecessor, Harris went on to express her views on the situation in a televised statement, stressing how “we cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering, and [she] will not be silent.” Though this seems like a significant progression from Biden’s own sentiments, it should be noted this speech occurred moments after Harris reaffirmed Israel’s right to self-defence in a meeting with Netanyahu at the Oval.
While it might seem pessimistic to brush off Harris’s words as pandering to unsecured voter bases, activists such as Hazami Barmada argue the Democratic candidate’s statement is unhelpful and needs to “move past empathy into a place of action before it’s too late.”
Barmada is not alone in thinking so, a growing dissatisfaction that is shared by many on the left. It is evident that Harris needs to promise formative action to satisfy this demographic, but would the presidential candidate take the necessary steps required when such political action might upset more traditional and moderate voters?
It is essential that Harris figures out her target demographic if she is to win the upcoming presidential election, as attempting to appeal to everyone comes with the risk of alienating all.
Though the debate has only just started, Kamala Harris must be ready to face a truly staggering amount of scrutiny from all sides if she is to be the first female President of the United States of America.
ENDNOTES
Levin, Sam. “Kamala Harris’s Record as California Prosecutor Hurt Her 2020 Campaign. Will 2024 be Different?” theguardian, The Guardian, 24 July 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/24/kamala-harris-california-record-election. Accessed 1 August 2024.
Leingang, Rachel. “Project 2025: Rightwing Manifesto’s Key Proposals and How they Could Affect You.” theguardian, The Guardian, 1 August 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/01/project-2025-key-proposals. Accessed 2 August 2024.
Mondschiend, Jared. “Who is Kamala Harris and How Might She Fare Against Trump?” sydney.edu.au, The University of Sydney, 24 July 2024, https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2024/07/24/who-is-kamala-harris-and-how-might-she-fare-against-trump-us-election-expert.html. Accessed 1 August 2024.
Harb, Ali. “Kamala Harris Shifts Tone on Gaza, but Advocates Say US Voters Want More.” aljazeera, Al Jazeera, 27 July 2024, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/27/kamala-harris-shifts-tone-on-gaza-but-advocates-say-us-voters-want-more. Accessed 1 August 2024.
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