By Gevin Reynolds
Joe Biden has entrusted Kamala Harris to do what he ultimately concluded he could not: defeat Donald Trump. Many Democratic voters – especially Black voters – supported the President in sticking it out, especially as calls to oust him came primarily from party leaders. But at the end of the day, the President determined that neither the polls nor the pennies supported his case for remaining in the race. We owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude for his historic leadership over the past three and a half years.
But now, just like that, this election is between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. While the race remains an uphill battle for us democracy defenders, I’ve seen just how hard Vice President Harris works when the cameras are off. Her ascent to the top of the ticket should give us newfound hope for victory in November. I offer three main reasons: first, the Vice President will energize the electorate; second, she will prosecute the case against convicted felon Donald Trump better than anyone else could; and third, she will clearly articulate what our side is fighting for in this election: freedom.
While Donald Trump has demonstrated considerable evidence of cognitive decline, he generally comes across as more vigorous than the average 78-year-old. Despite seemingly being unable to stay awake in court or at his own nominating convention, he golfs regularly and clearly has no problem giving really long speeches. Joe Biden’s debate performance did not inspire confidence with respect to his vigor. Unfortunately, he failed to live up to the energy of his State of the Union smackdown.
But what Joe Biden might lack in that department these days, Kamala Harris more than makes up for. Over just the first half of 2024, she sat for eighty different interviews – including print, television, and digital. She went on more than sixty official trips to twenty different states, delivering a speech or participating in a discussion during every visit. I helped draft her remarks for such engagements during my time in her office. The Vice President approached each and every one of them as an opportunity to meet voters where they are and to speak directly to folks on the ground in communities all across the country.
And now, those folks are responding. Since the Vice President took the President’s place at the top of the ticket, supporters have rushed to post on social media and donate their hard-earned dollars to her campaign. On Monday morning, the fundraising platform ActBlue announced that Kamala Harris had raised a record total the day before. Nearly $50 million in just seven hours. Talk about enthusiasm! Down the stretch, Kamala Harris – and indeed, all Democrats – will be well-positioned to translate this support into votes to beat back Donald Trump and all those who oppose democracy.
Speaking of democracy, I was pleased to see a clip of Vice President Harris making its rounds on social media a few weeks back. In it, the Vice President, speaking at the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans, breaks down what's at stake for our democracy in this election. “Understand what we all know,” she said, “in 122 days, we each have the power to decide what kind of country we want to live in.”
Essence Fest was just days after the Supreme Court issued its disastrous ruling in the presidential immunity case, so it’s no surprise that she also used the opportunity to prosecute the case against Donald Trump. “The United States Supreme Court essentially told this individual – who has been convicted of 34 felonies – that he will be immune from…the activity he has told us he is prepared to engage in if he gets back into the White House.”
That kind of language is quintessential Kamala Harris. As one of her former speechwriters, I heard the incisive questions she asked and the comments she made. She approached her remarks like a true district attorney working to piece together the facts of a case into a clear and compelling narrative to help the jury return a conviction. I don’t know if there will be any more debates between now and Election Day. Unsurprisingly, Trump has already posted on Truth Social that Democrats “stole the race” from Joe Biden, likely providing him with a reason to not debate the Vice President. I’m hoping for at least one debate, though. The contrast on that stage – between a convicted felon and a former prosecutor – could not be clearer. Kamala Harris got her start putting away bad guys. With her ability to effectively prosecute the case against him, she can put Donald Trump away – metaphorically – this November too.
When the Vice President mentioned our power to decide what kind of country we live in, she was talking about freedom. That’s what this election comes down to, plain and simple. As the Vice President continued in her Essence Fest remarks, she outlined the MAGA-led “attack against hard-fought, hard-won freedoms and rights.” The right of Black folks to vote. The right of all people to breathe clean air. The right of our students to learn our nation's true and full history. The right of women to make their own decisions about their own bodies. This November, we will ask voters to get off their couches to vote for freedom. Kamala Harris makes that pitch clearer than any other Democrat I’ve heard.
Sure, the Vice President appears to poll only marginally better against Donald Trump than President Biden does. It’s worth remembering, however, that the polls – like the state of the race – are constantly shifting. It will likely be a few weeks before we have a good sense of how voters respond to this shake-up, especially as we await the announcement of the Vice President’s running mate. In the meantime, voters will need a reintroduction to Kamala Harris now that she’s presumptively at the top of the ticket. Her team should build on this momentum and do all they can to keep up her impressive schedule of engagements. The Vice President has just over 100 days to make her case to the American people.
As we ask Kamala Harris to save our democracy, we must unite behind her. It’s time we put questions of her “electability” to bed. She is proven, she is ready, and as Professor Melissa Murray pointed out on X, is “electable if we elect her.” Let’s elect Kamala Harris to build on President Biden’s record, continue her fight for freedom, and ensure that our democracy endures for at least the next four years.
