Kamala Harris displayed strength and confidence as she made her case like a prosecutor for the US presidency: The people versus Donald Trump. It was effective, concise and targeted at middle class Americans, who are the majority in the country.
Kamala Harris gave the most important speech of her life, after listening to which the Democrats are happy, but now it remains to be seen how effective it will prove in the elections. For now, Harris can celebrate that she has successfully completed her first big task.
Kamala Harris’ speech also had a ‘warrior’ vibe, especially on matters of foreign policy and global leadership. She clearly stated that the US will remain ahead of China in space and artificial intelligence. She also expressed strong support for NATO and Ukraine, and maintained a balance between Israel and Gaza. The Harris of 2024 is clearly different from the Harris of 2019. Then she was seen struggling to run a good election campaign.
She has been the Vice President of the US for almost four years. But, still many voters, especially those who have not decided to vote yet, do not know much about her. Trump tried to paint her as a radical leftist and called her ‘Comrade Kamala’ for her liberal ideology. But the aim of Kamala Harris’ speech was to remove the leftist label and stick the label of being a ‘defender’. Defender – a defender of all kinds of rights, especially for women.
The aim of this speech was to present herself as a sensible, safe and balanced candidate. A candidate who is credible, practical and has common sense. Kamala Harris did this so successfully that Trump was shaken. He called Fox News during Harris’ speech and complained.
But during the speech, when Harris said that she was not a serious person and that her presence in the White House would have serious consequences, Trump clearly felt bad about it. Fox News had to stop Trump after 10 minutes because he was wandering during the conversation.
Beyond identity politics
Harris is the second woman to be nominated by the Democrats for the highest post. Earlier, Hillary Clinton had contested the US presidential election in 2016 but she had to face defeat then. Harris very wisely did not make her being a woman or her indigenous heritage an issue, but used both to demonstrate the possibilities of America. This is different from Clinton’s approach. She got entangled in gender issues, due to which she suffered.
Harris’s belief that she has the right to be president, and that this has nothing to do with her gender or where she comes from, could prove to be a key strategy in her victory.
In her speech, Harris paid tribute to her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, as a brilliant, five-foot-tall, brown woman who was strong and courageous. Harris gave enough details to succinctly tell her mother’s story, which was a tale of migration, discrimination, determination, and success.
Kamala Harris overtakes Trump
Harris will definitely get a lead in the polls after this convention. In just one month, she has not only equaled the competition with Trump, but has also gained a slight lead nationally and in some important swing states.
A poll tracker FiveThirtyEight showed Harris leading with 47 percent, while Trump was at 43.7 percent. Her popularity rating has climbed from a low to a respectable 45 percent, while Trump’s has fallen.
This convention proved that a demoralized party can be inspired. A weary one can be reinvigorated. Democrats have realized that patriotism should not become the property of Republicans. That’s smart. If you want to win over the middle class, don’t disrespect the flag.
The party’s bigwigs, including Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, had another important message: Go into battle but respect your opponent. Shaming the other side is not a winning strategy. Confidence should not turn into arrogance. Happiness should not turn into complacency. And, a bounce should not turn into a bust.
In 2016, Hillary Clinton called Trump supporters ‘racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic and Islamophobic’, from which the Democratic leaders have clearly learned a lesson. Later, she also admitted that the statement made by her was one of the many reasons for losing the election.
Harris, by contrast, has largely tried to stay above the fray and insisted she would be a president for all Americans. She has left it to her aides to analyze Trump’s downsides, a wise move. Now she must focus on filling the policy gaps in her campaign strategy. Because, as the campaign enters its final phase, she will need to talk in more detail about reducing inflation, securing the border and maintaining US military superiority.
(Seema Sirohi is a senior journalist based in Washington DC. She writes on foreign policy and has been covering India-US relations for the last three decades. The views expressed in this article are the personal views of the author.)
