Just a few weeks ago, I wrote a post saying that the Democrats need to make some decisions and rally around their candidate in order to present a united opposition to Donald Trump in the upcoming election. Whether that meant accepting the Biden/Harris ticket or getting a replacement on the ballot quickly, something needed to be done. And despite Biden’s initial protestations, he eventually dropped out and endorsed Harris, and now the Democrats have some momentum heading into November.
Kamala Harris was definitely not the first choice for many (myself included) as Biden’s successor, and several other names were floated like Gretchen Whitmer, Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, Gavin Newsom, and more. But once Biden passed the baton to his vice president, it was amazing how quickly people rallied around her. Celebrities stepped up to support her candidacy, many Democratic leaders have backed her, and more than enough delegates have indicated their support to ensure that she should get the nomination once the Democratic Convention begins. In addition, Harris has raised over $200 million in contributions (much of it from first-time donors) in just a little over a week.
So while some may have had reservations about Kamala at first, apparently she offered a much more palatable choice than Biden or Trump, and Democrats along with swing voters quickly started to show their support. This should not come as a surprise seeing as one of the overwhelming attitudes toward the upcoming election was that voters were not happy with either Biden or Trump. So almost any option, especially a younger candidate, is certainly welcome, and the early polls are supporting that.
Kamala still faces some hurdles in the upcoming race, but I believe she will weather those pretty well. The Republicans had run a smear campaign against her and painted her as a do-nothing vice president (a criticism often leveled at that role), though they offered little in the way of substantive criticism. Others have knocked her for being hard to work with and the high turnover among her staff. But Trump, who had 92% turnover in his administration, will have a hard time using that against her. Others have noted that during her tenure as a District Attorney in California her prosecutions over drugs and truancy disproportionately impacted minorities, especially the black community. But again, it will be hard for Trump and the Republicans to make much of that considering their poor record with minorities.
As vice president, Harris did seem to fade into the background, but that happens with just about anybody who takes the backup role to the president. Now that she has stepped out as the lead for the ticket, she is certainly presenting a strong case to the American people. She is not making this election about her; she is making it about the country and how we should move forward. She is presenting a clear vision of how the United States should proceed into the future by securing individual rights and not going back to a time when minorities and women had a lesser standing in the country. In contrast, Trump continues to keep the attention of his campaign on himself, claiming he is the only one who can save the country (and apparently also the only one who can keep us out of World War III). And after a brief call for unity following the assassination attempt, he has quickly returned to apocalyptic and divisive rhetoric as his central message. And it is definitely not a good sign when Mike Johnson had to have a closed-door meeting with House Republicans and tell them to steer away from sexist and racist attacks against Harris.
The people of this country are tired of the hatred, fear, and division coming from the GOP, and a hopeful message certainly seems like a breath of fresh air at this point. Not surprisingly, many are getting behind Kamala because she looks like the much better choice for a leader at this point. The Democrats need to continue with their support and continue to rally around her as we approach November. And anybody who wants to see the United States remain a free and Democratic country that respects the rights of all should certainly consider her when casting their ballot in the upcoming election. We need to put Trump and his toxic, divisive MAGA politics behind us so that this country can continue to move forward as a free nation that respects Democracy and the rule of law. Kamala may not be the first choice as president for many, but she is certainly the best choice in November.