- Following the performance, complications arose for Harris en route to the White House.
At the end of the day, Kamala Harris stands shining amidst a sea of white, red, and blue balloons. The Democratic vice president is surrounded by her family on stage. Confetti falls, music booms from speakers, thousands of delegates cheer and celebrate. It's the end of four days of Democratic Party convention in Chicago, filled with star-studded shows, declarations of love, and big emotions, all to celebrate the new face of the Democratic Party and its presidential candidate. And to present her as a fighter for good, a protector of the weak, even a savior of America.
But the grand spectacle and organized excitement of the Democrats should not divert attention from the fact that it may be challenging for Harris to defeat her Republican opponent, Donald Trump, in the November election. Former First Lady Michelle Obama warned in Chicago that the party should not become overconfident: "No matter how good we feel tonight or tomorrow or the next day, it's going to be a tough fight."
The biggest challenges for Harris are:
The Issues
The 59-year-old has been part of the Biden administration for over three and a half years as Vice President, sharing responsibility for the current political landscape. "There are indeed unresolved problems, like uncontrolled immigration," says the Transatlantic Coordinator of the German government, Michael Link. Ironically, Harris was responsible for combating the causes of migration in recent years, and it's a crucial campaign issue where Trump has an advantage.
While the economy, job market, and inflation are in good shape, people's sentiment doesn't reflect that. This is another significant challenge for Harris. She must now find ways to make believable proposals on security, migration, and cost of living, suggests Link. Her campaign's main theme, the fight for abortion rights, is one she can represent more effectively than Biden.
Performance
As a prosecutor and senator, Harris has previously appeared confident and assured. However, she never quite found her footing in her role as Vice President. She was less visible in the challenging role, struggled to make an impact, made mistakes, and often seemed unsure and stiff. Until recently, she was seen as an additional burden for Biden in his campaign, struggling with poor approval ratings like him.
Since the Democrats chose Harris as their new leader, her popularity has skyrocketed. She now leads Trump in polls, another significant achievement. However, since Biden stepped down and she was catapulted to the top, Harris has only made appearances in controlled environments, with choreographed and staged performances. She hasn't given interviews, held press conferences, visited politically sensitive locations, or ventured onto unfamiliar territory.
The party convention show is the current peak of this staging. In the coming weeks, Harris will have to prove herself in situations not entirely controlled by her campaign team.
There are rumors that independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. might drop out of the race and endorse Trump. The 70-year-old has announced a speech for Friday evening in Arizona, where Trump is also campaigning, to address the "present historical moment" and his "future path". Trump's campaign team has announced that the candidate will bring a "special guest" to a rally afterwards. Kennedy's running mate, Nicole Shanahan, has recently floated the idea of a merger with Trump.
Although Kennedy is not a serious contender in the presidential race, polling at around five percent on average, his withdrawal could benefit Trump by delivering crucial votes in a tight race against Harris. If this happens just after the Democrats' big convention in Chicago, it could also dampen Harris' momentum.
The lively music that boomed from speakers during the Democratic Party convention celebration was a fitting soundtrack to the enthusiasm and excitement of the delegates. Despite the challenges ahead, Kamala Harris needs to show her ability to handle unpredictable situations outside of controlled environments, just like how musicians often thrive in live performances.
