Kamala Harris: Will America’s First Female Vice President Swing the Vote in the Democrat’s Favour?

It is a momentous first – Joseph R. Biden Jr has selected Senator Kamala Harris of California as his vice-president running mate, making history in US presidential politics. Senator Harris is the first Black woman and the first person of Indian descent to be nominated for national office by a major US political party, being only the fourth woman in US history to be selected for the presidential ticket. But are Democratic voters truly prepared to unify around the ticket, and even more critically, will this be enough to defeat Donald Trump?

Speculation for a VP running mate has been rife for the last couple of months since Joe Biden became the Democratic presumptive nominee. With the promise of choosing a woman of colour, vetting for the VP slot included prolific names such as Susan Rice, Stacey Abrams, and Tammy Duckworth. But on the 11^th August 2020, Harris (who was often deemed as the favourite) met virtually with Biden, where it was announced that the California senator would be on the ballot. On the Democratic side of the isle, this choice was met with rapturous support from Democrats, where many extended a call for unity and solidarity amongst voters. This included Mayor Pete Buttigieg – the first openly gay candidate to win a primary caucus, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Senator Bernie Sanders, all of whom ran for the nomination. It is apparent that there is a stoic message amongst the democratic side; unity or nothing. Perhaps crucial lessons have been learnt from the shocking defeat of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign – rallying around the presumptive nominee and his VP choice is imperative for a national coalition to send Trumpism into the history books.

Who Is Kamala Harris?

Harris, aged 55, was born in Oakland, California, to two immigrant parents: a Jamaican-born father and an Indian-born mother. She grew up engaged with her Indian heritage, but also remembers how her mother adopted Oakland’s black culture, immersing her two daughters – Kamala and her younger sister Maya – within it. Spending four years at Howard University and then going on to earn her law degree at the University of California, Kamala Harris’ name began to circulate the political space when she became district attorney for San Francisco in 2003. Harris later served as California’s first woman and first black Attorney General, and using this growing momentum, successfully became a US Senator in 2017. Harris ran as the first black woman for the 2020 presidency, but ended her campaign in early December 2019, citing a lack of funding as reason for her withdrawal.

What Does She Bring to the Table?

Arguably, one of Harris’ most compelling facets is that she brings youthful energy to the ticket. With Biden being likely to be a one-term president due to his age, Senator Harris is an ideal candidate to take over the presidency if anything should happen to Joe Biden. Furthermore, it is evident that Senator Harris is more than qualified to fulfil the position of VP due to her experiences as a prosecutor, US senator and Attorney General. These set of experiences stand her in good stead to lead a nation due to her decisive action and unifying leadership.

When watching Harris and Biden meeting to formally announce their joint candidacy, it was clear to see that Harris, at least in terms of semantics, presents herself as a likeable figure that both conservatives and liberals can get behind. Her charm, charisma and compassion demonstrate that she is aspiring to be more than a glorified politician – she is looking to fill an emotional void left by the last four years of Trump’s presidency. As Harris proclaims herself, to her family, she’s more affectionately known as ‘’Momala’’. Whilst there are discrepancies between her and Biden’s positions, overall, she holds progressive, Democratic values. Both Biden and Harris’ joint aim is to engage in the ‘’battle for the soul of the nation’’.

Is Kamala Harris a Far-Left Ideologue Or a Non-Partisan Centrist?

When it comes to key issues, Harris has come under fire from both the left and right regarding her positions. Some argue that she is not ‘left enough’, due to her ‘flip-flopping’ stances on healthcare during her presidential bid, yet Republican-backed Fox News have demonised her as a ‘radical’ through her co-sponsorship of the Green New Deal, something which the hard-right rebuke as a ‘’socialist manifesto’’. It has been pointed out by political commentators that, on some issues, she and Biden possess conflicting stances in policy, and neither Democrats nor Republicans can figure out how this could potentially sway voter turnout.

During her 2020 run, Harris released plans outlining her vision for criminal justice reform, and how to ‘stand up for Black America’. As part of these plans, Harris called for an end to mass incarceration, the end of the death penalty and creating a national police systems review board. However, arguably her most prominent moment in the presidential debate came when she challenged Biden on his work with segregationists in the Senate, leading Senator Harris to open up about her experiences with school busing. In terms of gun reform, Harris called for mandatory background checks, greater regulation within the gun manufacturing industry, and sought to close a loophole which allows those with previous domestic violence offences to buy guns under certain circumstances. Harris proposed to close the gender wage by enforcing larger companies and corporations to certify that men and women are paid equally.

There is no doubt that Democrats are facing numerous challenges in voting Trump out of the Oval Office. Covid-19 hasn’t made this election year run smooth – obstacles of election security, mail-in-voting, and public health remain at the forefront of voters’ minds.

So, is America ready for the first black, female vice president?

It seems that there’s only one way to find out.

Liv Williams
Tweet to @1311oliviawills

Feature image courtesy of imageSPACE, REX, Shutterstock