On Tuesday, Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden ended months of TV-pundit speculation, news-outlet ranking and political gossiping. In a Tweet, he announced his selection of Kamala Harris, the junior senator from California and his erstwhile opponent in the party’s primary for the top job as his running mate – a selection that gave his campaign much-needed oomph.
It is with good reason that the search for Biden’s VP nominee attracted so much attention. At age 77, he would be the oldest President in history upon his inauguration (78) and has described himself as a “transition candidate” for the next generation of leaders. As such, his pick for Vice President could essentially be an anointment of his successor.
When the announcement was made, there was widespread elation amongst Democrats, and for good reason. Harris represents an historic choice. She is only the third woman to be the vice-presidential nominee of a major political party. She is also the first African-American woman and Asian-American to be on a presidential ticket (her parents are from Jamaica and India). Aside from its symbolic importance, this means that issues surrounding race relations in America would likely receive more attention in a Biden-Harris administration – something the US is in dire need of.
But the choice of Kamala Harris is significant for more reasons than that. For one thing, she brings something to the campaign that it desperately needs: excitement. Joe Biden is many things, but exciting is not one of them. His campaign has been centred from the start around “restoring the soul of America” – in other words: getting back to normal.
Biden himself is not a particularly energising figure. His folksy ways may have charm, but he lacks the charisma of (say) Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren or Barack Obama. Add to this the fact that he has spent the past few months conducting his campaign from home, largely out of the limelight. On one level, this has worked. Media attention has largely focused on the President and his catastrophic handling of the coronavirus and racial unrest in America. This has handed Biden a healthy lead in the polls. However, a closer look reveals that his lead is due more to a rejection of Trump than an endorsement of his policies.
In order for Biden to win decisively in November, Democratic voters need something to get excited about, if only for the practical reason of ensuring a high turnout. This is where Kamala Harris steps in. Even before she announced her candidacy for President, Harris had made a name for herself by showcasing her prosecutorial skills in the senate – skewering such figures as Brett Kavanaugh and William Barr much to the internet’s delight. During the primary debates, she had many memorable moments, including one in which she challenged Joe Biden’s record on race. She has made a name for herself as tough, self-assured and witty – all of which account for her charisma.
As important as style and performance are in US politics though, substance still matters. This is where Harris is somewhat weaker. Her views compliment Biden’s on many issues – no doubt a reason for her selection. Like him, she belongs to the more moderate wing of the Democratic party, favouring incremental rather than revolutionary change. She also has a reputation for being a career politician without strong policy commitments. During the primaries she flip-flopped on the issue of healthcare leading some (particularly on the left-leaning wing of the party) to brand her as an opportunist.
The question is whether that will really matter. The flipside is that she is a far more appealing candidate to centrist Republican and swing-state voters. It also makes her much more difficult for the Trump campaign to attack and label as a “radical” or “socialist.” In fact, one of her main weaknesses in the primary, her tough criminal justice record, will likely come in handy in a campaign in which Trump will likely try to depict himself as the “Law and Order” candidate.
Although Sanders/Warren-supporters on the left wing of the Democratic party may be disillusioned by the choice, they are unlikely to stay home or defect. The stakes in this upcoming election are just too high. Kamala Harris may not be the most ideal Vice Presidential pick imaginable, but she is experienced, inspiring, capable and (perhaps more crucially) will likely be highly effective in energising voters. Come November, Democrats will need to turn out the vote like never before to ensure a decisive win that will be hard for the President to dispute. Even so, they should brace themselves for a hotly contested election. To that end, someone with Harris’s grit will be indispensable.
Words by Reuben Bharucha
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