Like many Americans watching Thursday night’s presidential debate, I knew by the time it was over there was no way I was going to sleep. So I did something I almost never do: listened to pundits comment on cable news. I’m glad I did. Shortly after the debate, Vice President Kamala Harris appeared on CNN with Anderson Cooper. Watching him calmly and methodically respond to questions from Cooper, I thought: The clear and logical way out of the mess created by President Biden with his dangerous debate performance is for him to bow with respect and support the young man. the vice president is energetic and talented to stand in place.
I know, I know. You think I just fell out of a coconut tree. Didn’t Harris fire in the last Democratic presidential primary, leaving just in time to avoid an embarrassing loss in his home state of California? yes already. But to win the primary, you need to make a needle to introduce yourself to the base of the party while burning the case for your idea and eliminate the talent of your rival, all while keeping the options open, because your opponent will also be a substitute and future. allies. For women — and for black women in particular — the gender and racial dynamics of the presidential primary race seem especially difficult to navigate.
The dynamic will be very different on the national stage shared with Donald Trump. There, Harris won’t begrudge his fellow Democrats over minor policy differences or try to align his own record with that of the governor or lawmakers. He can use his real superpower: He will be a tireless prosecutor on the very clear political case against Donald John Trump, a criminal, a person responsible for sexual harassment, a shameless liar, a demagogue, a threat to democracy and to us. Constitution.
I speak for many women, perhaps the most important voting bloc in this election, when I say that I would love to see Harris cut Trump down to size. And unlike the blow he threw at Biden during the 2020 primary debate — “The little boy is me,” in response to Biden’s scathing answer about the school bus policy — he’ll be associated with bullies who won’t be able to help themselves. and treated him with disrespect. Unlike Trump’s previous female debate rival, Hillary Clinton, no scandals have dogged Harris. All Trump will do are personal attacks, which will only strengthen his image as a bully. That can play particularly poorly with moderate voters when directed at Black female adults.
After Thursday night’s debate, it was easy to ignore Trump’s strength. He gave a dazzling performance. He was a plate of fakes and mockery that actually turned off some voters, according to interviews I saw with debate viewers on television. But the rambling and sputtering Biden failed to fight him.
Harris, with his killer instinct and poise, can wipe the floor with Trump on the issues that matter most to voters. We forget that he was very successful not only as a prosecutor but also as a candidate for statewide office in California. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee during the first Trump administration, he drew blood with tough questions, calm and deliberate, managing to count the viral moments without seeming like a theatrical performance.
It will be satisfying to watch her face Trump on Thursday, not only for progressives but also for suburban women who want to see a full-throated fight for reproductive rights, an issue on which Harris has been especially – and passionately – outspoken and Biden, a devout Catholic , is silent. I do not agree with the policy on the border, but there is no question that Harris has been tough and compelling on immigration. He has been a popular surrogate on the campaign trail, and while he may not help much with Black and Latino people, who in the case of voters are less consistent, I believe he can energize Black women and young people.
A campaign is not a debate, and there is a long way to go. But his job is to wake the country up from an alternative world where Trump’s presidency isn’t actually bad. I think I can make that case better than almost anyone in the Democratic Party.
His polls before this debate were not good – he was favored as much as Biden – but recent polls in swing states show that he could be trusted by voters if he were to become president. Unlike pre-planned candidates, they will start with low expectations that can easily be met. In a world full of dangers, they have been involved in major national security issues, not relegated to ribbon cuttings. Paired with, say, a strong, centrist governor like Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania or Andy Beshear of Kentucky as his running mate, he could win.
If Harris becomes the first female president through this series of strange and rare events, it will also be a perfect illustration of what it usually takes for women to get the chance to lead: A man makes a hash of an important job. and women must roll up their sleeves and clean up. It will not be the same kind of triumphant moment that brought us our first Black president. But it will eventually break the hardest and highest glass ceiling. I hope the next female president comes to office in better condition.
Giving the nod to Harris will have another benefit. This will allow Biden to end his long career in public service with honor and dignity. He will go down in history as the man who stopped Trump in 2020. Whatever reason prompted Biden to choose Harris as his running mate, and it is clear that he is not a natural choice for him, he is ultimately his successor if he has to choose. unable to serve. Making a mad scramble to find a replacement while bypassing talented politicians who have already been elected would just be another example of Biden blowing it. Bowing allows him to be a patriot and allow the natural order of succession as he envisions it, preserving his legacy and sense of agency. That is no small thing. Harris 2024: Has a great ring to it.