Battle for the White House Kamala Harris wants to beat Trump - but not everyone trusts her to do it
Following the withdrawal of US President Biden, the Vice President will enter the battle for the White House. She says she wants to beat Trump. She already has a lot of support. But there are also doubts.
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- After growing pressure from within his own ranks, Joe Biden has announced that he will not run for the US Democratic presidential nomination.
- At the same time, the President spoke out in favor of his former running mate Kamala Harris as his replacement.
- Harris herself also announced her intention to become the Democratic presidential candidate.
- Numerous prominent Democrats have already backed her.
- However, Harris must expect headwinds.
US President Joe Biden's withdrawal from the race for the White House is forcing his Democratic Party to change course in a way that has never been seen so late in an election year. At the Democratic Party convention, Biden was actually supposed to be officially nominated as the candidate for the presidential election against Republican Donald Trump in November. But now almost 4700 delegates have to choose a new candidate.
Even though Biden has already made an endorsement for his vice presidential running mate Kamala Harris, her nomination is not guaranteed. The Democrats did demonstrate unity on Sunday shortly after Biden announced his resignation. Many party members, including weighty voices such as the Clintons, have already expressed their support for the former US Senator from California. A number of other party greats quickly spoke out in her favor, including Governors Gavin Newsom (California), Josh Shapiro (Pennsylvania) and Roy Cooper (North Carolina), who were also considered possible candidates.
On Sunday evening (local time), party delegations from several states also switched from Biden to Harris. The Democratic Party's fundraising platform had already collected almost 47 million dollars in small donations for Harris' election campaign by 9 p.m. (local time) on Sunday evening.
Support from the left wing of the party
From the left wing of the party, Harris received support from MP Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Just a few days ago, Ocasio-Cortez had made it clear that Harris by no means enjoyed the full confidence of her own party.
Nor does the Vice President have to fear competition from the influential Governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer, following her resignation. Former President Barack Obama, on the other hand, spoke only of his confidence that "an outstanding candidate" would be found.
A few hours after Biden's withdrawal, the chances of Harris having a serious intra-party rival seemed slim at first. According to reports in some US media, Senator Joe Manchin, known as an obstructionist, is considering running. He is unlikely to stand a chance.
Is America ready for a female president?
The Democratic nominating convention will take place in Chicago from August 19 to 22. A narrative for the duel between the former prosecutor and the recently convicted felon Trump should be obvious for the Democrats.
However, the question is whether the USA is ready for a female president, and a woman of color at that. Martha Johnson, Professor of Political Science at Northeastern University, emphasizes that while a Democratic presidential ticket with Harris would be historic, there remain "many questions about the process going forward". Johnson warned that Harris' path forward will not be easy in many ways. "Studies show repeated evidence of sexism and racism in American politics, both explicit and more subtle, for example in reporting," Johnson elaborated in a report by the university newspaper. "Women of color are often the ones most affected by sexist and racist stereotypes and attacks."
It doesn't matter who the Democrats put up, Helen Andrews, senior editor at the conservative magazine "The American Conservative", told the US political magazine "Politico". "Trump will win in November because voters remember what life was like during his time in office, and it surpasses the last three years in every way - from cheaper food to fewer wars," Andrews said.
Many voters have better memories of the Trump years
Republican strategist Liam Donovan sounds a similar note: "The fundamental challenge for Harris is the same as for Biden: Regardless of age or acumen, American voters in polls say they have better memories of the Trump era than the Biden years, and they believe Trump's policies have helped them more than Biden's policies," Donovan told "Politico." As long as this is the case, a victory for the Democrats is unattainable. "Harris and her vice presidential running mate need to dispel the Trump nostalgia, be present in the battleground states and contrast their vision for the next four years with the bleak future they promise under Republican rule," Donovan continued.
As expected, Trump was confident of victory on Sunday, telling CNN: "Harris will be easier to beat than Joe Biden."
With agency material