Not only is Kamala Harris “without a doubt ready” to serve the United States as president, she said in a recent interview of The Wall Street Journal. Anyone who sees her at work becomes “fully aware of my ability to lead.” Her statements refer to two vulnerabilities of the American vice president: many voters do doubt Harris' abilities and she has been so invisible in her current role that her leadership qualities only reach a limited audience.
Now that President Joe Biden (81) has enough delegates to be formally crowned Democratic presidential candidate for the November elections, a lot of attention is focused on Harris (59). It is self-evident that she is again running mate. As the first woman, a woman of Jamaican-Indian descent, to be vice president, she is in any case more in the spotlight than many of her predecessors.
She has been a target of right-wing media since she took office. The assumption that she only owes her job to her color and gender is never far away. Partly because Biden explicitly promised a woman as number two during the 2020 primaries, she is accused of token to be: chosen for the diversity it brings, not the qualities it has. Harris previously served as senator and attorney general of California.
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Horror
Republicans are using Harris as a bugbear in their campaign. Those who vote for Biden are actually choosing her, they say. Nikki Haley, who dropped out of the Republican race a week ago, has not expressed support for Donald Trump, but has repeatedly emphasized: “I don't want President Kamala Harris.”
In doing so, Republicans are latching on to and reinforcing Harris' bad reputation. She is still slightly less popular than the historically unpopular Biden. Many Americans have little idea of who she is and what she does. If they have an opinion about her, it is usually negative.
With the exception of Dick Cheney, who was said to be more decisive than George W. Bush, vice presidents have always been accused of invisibility. It is a thankless position without clearly defined tasks, at the service and in the shadow of the president. Although Harris has the important role as chairman of the Senate and the decisive vote there.
The policy issues that she was initially assigned, without any diplomatic experience, made success very unlikely: the situation at the southern border and the relationship with countries in Central America. She had difficult media appearances and dissatisfaction among its employees leaked out. In a book about the first two years of Biden's presidency, the author, Franklin Foer, notes that Harris seemed paralyzed by “understandable uncertainty.” She barely knew Biden, against whom she had run for the Democratic nomination in 2020. Moreover, she did not want to focus on 'target group policy' and feared that her mistakes and failures would be seen as those of black women in general.
Respect
The White House and the campaign team are now working hard to improve her reputation. Harris has been busy campaigning in recent weeks, especially on the issue of abortion. She also regularly speaks critically about the human suffering in Gaza and calls for a ceasefire in a way that Biden does not allow. It is used to motivate women, young people and minorities to vote. Also she leads discussions with prominent party members and donors about the re-election campaign.
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There have been calls among Democrats to replace or even replace Harris hold primaries for vice president, but Biden never seems to have had any doubts about her. Changing number two during re-election almost never happens anyway, most recently in 1944. Biden, who regularly felt misunderstood as Barack Obama's vice president, wants to treat her with more respect. In the commercial with which he launched his re-election campaign, she certainly appeared as much as himself. In the unlikely scenario that he withdraws before November, he is expected to back her as his successor.
The question is whether Harris' repositioning is timely and will resonate with voters. It is certain that she will be in the spotlight a lot in the coming months and will certainly campaign as much as Biden. Then it will become clear whether she is an added value with presidential allure for him, or a liability.
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