Kamala Harris’ advent infuses energy and hope in Democrats, but is it too late?

After resisting for 24 days, Joe Biden finally pulled out of the presidential race on Sunday, July 21, establishing yet again that in life and politics it is impossible to dodge the inevitable! In so doing he managed to put the party and nation above his own ego and ambition, even if reluctantly, thereby salvaging his legacy and paving the way for a credible challenge to be mounted against Donald Trump’s bid for a second term.

Since his disastrous performance at the June 27 debate with Trump, even his closest friends and well-wishers were urging him to step aside. Biden, however, was adamant that he was best placed to stop Trump. He claimed that his debate performance was a one-off episode and even if he didn’t walk or talk like he did 40 years ago, he was hale and hearty.

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He tried to demonstrate his fitness through campaign rallies, meetings and interviews which naturally failed to dispel misgivings about his physical and cognitive well-being. His deteriorating condition was evident to all for months but no one was willing to say it out loud.

Almost immediately thereafter the liberal media was inundated with editorials and op-eds by widely respected journalists and public figures calling upon him to pull out of the race. In a guest essay in a leading newspaper, George Clooney, a prominent fund-raiser for the Democratic party, was frank: “We are not going to win in November with this president. On top of that, we won’t win the House, and we’re going to lose the Senate.”

This intensified the pressure on Biden more so because it was made known that the essay had been seen, but not objected to, by Barack Obama, a party heavy weight, before its release. Many other key donors simply held back their contributions.

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The scale further tilted against the President with the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump, who overnight acquired a new halo around him. As it is, he was leading in opinion polls. Now he seemed invincible. He consolidated his position further by nominating the youthful Senator JD Vance, as his running mate. The contrast between an energetic and defiant Trump, and a frail and forgetful Biden, could not become starker.

The galvanised Republicans put up an impressive show of unity and sense of purpose at the party convention last week in which Trump was formally anointed as the nominee. Nikki Haley, who was the last to drop out of the race after a spirited fight, also extended her support while suggesting that the party should broaden its reach: “We are stronger when we welcome people into our party who have different backgrounds and experiences.”

In his acceptance speech, the candidate essentially claimed that he was destined to be the next President as his life was saved for a purpose, by divine intervention. He tried to rise above partisan politics by calling for healing “discord and division in our society”. Done with sounding statesman-like he reverted to being himself and tore into the Democrats, terming Biden the worst President in history, who had flooded the country with illegal immigrants, ruined the economy, and plunged the world into conflicts.

Meanwhile the ranks of Democratic lawmakers wanting the President to withdraw started to swell. Some of them were tacitly nudged by former House speaker and Democratic stalwart Nancy Pelosi who advised them to follow their conscience. She publicly asked Biden to take a decision, as time was running out and also spoke to him privately.

The President felt let-down by her and Obama. To add to his woes, he was diagnosed as Covid positive on July 17 and forced to halt his campaign. Next, his inner circle reportedly apprised him of the findings of a private opinion poll that he was on a losing wicket. This was the proverbial last straw.

On July 21, he issued a letter to the public acknowledging that “while it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down”. He will continue as President for the remainder of his term.

In his letter he merely thanked Kamala Harris but soon thereafter endorsed her as his nominee for the presidential election: “My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee.”

In her acceptance statement the vice president displayed considerable political acumen in pledging “to earn and win this nomination”. She knew that her nomination was not a done deal in the Democratic party and that the US President was not a monarch who could pass on the crown to his chosen successor. She wisely let it be known that she was ready to earn her spurs.

The development electrified the Democratic party. Support for Kamala Harris increased by the hour, pouring-in from all quarters. Significantly Bill and Hillary Clinton as well as Nancy Pelosi were quick to wholeheartedly endorse her candidature and so did most lawmakers and governors. The donors gave a thumbs-up by contributing a record $81 million to her campaign, in 24 hours.

The African-American, women and Latino voters are particularly enthused by her nomination. The disposition of the white voters remains uncertain. Significantly President Barack Obama in his statement praising Joe Biden noted: “I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges”. He did not endorse Harris.

The Democratic party convention is slated to start on August 19, but she has already managed to receive endorsements from a majority of the 4,000 delegates. Every effort is being made to have her as the sole candidate and pre-empt others from throwing their hats in the ring. Though the party is rallying around her, Harris has not exactly set the Potomac river on fire as Vice President, to lay an automatic claim on the ticket, by virtue of Biden’s endorsement.

The gravitas of the process would have been enhanced if it had been transparent and open. Democrats are fortunate to have several talented leaders and a competitive process would have been ideal to throw-up the best candidate to challenge Donald Trump who is a formidable opponent. That now seems unlikely and could become a missed opportunity!

The author is a foreign affairs specialist and an ex-envoy to Canada and South Korea. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.