Hallelujah I said to myself when the news broke that Joe Biden had chosen Kamala Harris to join his quest for the White House. Frankly, I hope when Donald Trump heard the news he nearly choked on his cornflakes, or does he have a cheeseburger and a diet coke for breakfast ? This in my view adds real substance to the Democratic ticket and, more importantly, a potential Vice-President that the U.S. electorate could view as able, if the circumstances dictated it, of taking over as President. Not to be too indelicate, Joe Biden is 78 years old and if elected would be the oldest American to become President. All the more re-assuring for U.S. voters to have a more youthful 55 year old ready and capable of taking over if anything should happen to the President. Trump, of course, has come out with the usual insults calling her “nasty and horrible” for the way she grilled Trump‘s nominee for the Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh, during his confirmation hearing in the Senate. A robust performance which was well justified as far as I’m concerned. However, to put matters in context, Trump twice donated to her re-election campaigns as Attorney General for California and for good measure Ivanka Trump donated in 2014.
Readers of my column will know that I have been a fan of the Californian Senator for some time. She has real charisma on a Barack Obama scale, is highly articulate, and photogenic to boot. She is a strong debater and could prove a valuable counter-balance against what will be a nasty Republican campaign. By her very background, her father is Jamaican and her mother Indian, she crosses the racial divide. In terms of where she falls in a political context in the Democratic party, I would say pretty much at the centre. Certainly I would doubt that many should fear her stance on economic issues, unlike some of the policies advocated by the alternative choice for Vice-President, Senator Elizabeth Warren, who hails from the Left of the Party.
At this stage in the campaign the Trump camp must be seriously rattled. The President has been a disastrous leader against the pandemic. 166,000 Americans have died. His ludicrous statements on the virus’s progress are on the internet for all to see. He is deeply vulnerable on this issue. The lack of leadership on a federal level borders on the criminal. To be honest, at this stage Biden has already established a significant lead over Trump in the polls and I can only surmise that Harris will solidify and broaden that lead. However, there is a wider aspect to all of this. Donald Trump has proved to be the most divisive President in modern history and America is wounded. It needs to heal. Kamala Harris understands the law but she also understands race. She challenged Biden on this issue in the Primaries. What better combination than her and Steady Joe to put their arms around America and steer their adventure anew.