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Harris’s candidacy is a symbol of US progress

Aug 18, 2024 11:39 PM IST

Harris’s nomination marks a pivotal moment in American history for several reasons.

On August 22, at around 9pm Central Daylight Time, Kamala Devi Harris will make history when she accepts the Democratic Party’s nomination for president of the United States. That moment, set to unfold in front of 5,000 delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, will cap an extraordinary period in American politics.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event at Hendrick Center for Automotive Excellence on the Scott Northern Wake Campus of Wake Tech Community College in Raleigh, N.C., Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. AP/PTI(AP)
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event at Hendrick Center for Automotive Excellence on the Scott Northern Wake Campus of Wake Tech Community College in Raleigh, N.C., Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. AP/PTI(AP)

At the beginning of summer, the stage was set for a rematch between President Joe Biden and his predecessor, Donald Trump, whom he defeated in the 2020 presidential election. However, Biden’s disastrous debate performance against Trump on June 27 led to his announcing his withdrawal from the race and endorsing Harris, his vice president for the past 42 months.Biden’s decision — it marks only the seventh time a US president has opted not to seek re-election — upended the campaign just 104 days before the election. At the time, Biden was trailing Trump in most opinion polls, both nationally and in key swing states considered crucial for capturing the White House.

Remarkably, amidst this political upheaval, Harris has managed to reintroduce herself and rejuvenate her party’s prospects for November. Given that she once faced significant scepticism from the electorate and within her party, this is a notable achievement. While the sequence of events that brought Harris to the forefront may be relegated to mere footnotes in history, the true significance of her candidacy — and her potential presidency — extends far beyond these recent developments.

Harris’s nomination marks a pivotal moment in American history for several reasons. First, she is only the second woman ever to be nominated as a major party’s presidential candidate. Former first lady and secretary of state Hillary Clinton broke the glass ceiling in 2016 by becoming the Democratic Party’s nominee for president. Harris’s emergence eight years later demonstrates the speed at which the political landscape in the US is evolving, especially in terms of gender representation among Democratic Party voters. Equally important, if elected, Harris would become the first woman and woman of colour to hold the office of President of the US. This is a milestone that carries immense significance in a country that has grappled with issues of race and gender since its founding. Harris’s ascent to this position is a testament to the shifting demographics and values of the American electorate.

To date, Harris has run a remarkably competent campaign. The party machinery quickly coalesced around the vice president, who smoothly inherited the campaign apparatus and fundraising networks established by Biden. The speed with which Harris secured the support of the party establishment, including endorsements from former Presidents Obama and Bill Clinton, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Hillary Clinton, quelled any speculation about a contested convention in Chicago. In addition, the Democrats were motivated by the need to have a candidate who could defeat Trump. For the Democrats, Trump is an anathema and antithetical to democracy’s future. Most of them believe that a second Trump presidency would be even more dangerous than the first.

But it is not just fear driving support for Harris’s campaign. Her candidacy has unified the Democratic Party and energised its base, particularly young voters and minority communities. A senior campaign official recently noted at a closed-door fundraiser that Harris’s volunteer apparatus has been overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response from young volunteers eager to join the campaign.

Harris has also sparked excitement and enthusiasm among African Americans and Indian Americans, the two ethnic groups of which she is part. At her campaign rallies, she is drawing larger crowds than Trump has at his rallies in a surge of support not been seen on the Democratic side since Obama’s groundbreaking 2008 campaign.

After entering the race, Harris achieved a huge fundraising milestone, securing more than a quarter billion dollars in July alone. This financial prowess underscores the strength and enthusiasm of her campaign, which has quickly gained momentum.

The impact of Harris’s candidacy is being evidenced now in the polls. She has erased the lead Trump held over Biden, and now leads in most national polls, including in key swing states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin — states Trump narrowly won in 2016 and Biden won back for the Democrats in 2020. The strength of Harris’s candidacy is highlighted by Trump’s decision to agree to debate her after previously indicating that he would not. Trump, who did not debate his Republican primary rivals due to his commanding lead, has recognised the seriousness of Harris’s challenge.

Harris’s nomination is not just a personal achievement. It is a monumental step forward in the ongoing struggle for equality, opportunity, and representation in America. The late African American poet Maya Angelou wrote in her powerful poem Equality:

“We have lived a painful history / we know the shameful past / but I keep on marching forward.”

This week in Chicago, all eyes will be on Harris as she prepares to accept the Democratic Party’s nomination. It will not be just her who will be “marching forward” there.

Her candidacy has the potential to inspire millions of people — especially women and minorities — who have long felt underrepresented in America. It will serve as a profound symbol of how far the US has come and a powerful reminder of how much further it has to and can go.

Frank F Islam is an entrepreneur, civic leader, and thought leader based in Washington DC. The views expressed here are personal

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