From the pale Vice-President to a trump against Trump?
In the race for the White House, President Biden sees Vice President Harris as a potential contender for the Democrats. Whether she will run is still uncertain. During her tenure, she made a poor showing with some issues but could counter Trump on certain topics.
Donald Trump is already training his sights on the possible new rival in the presidential race. He frequently makes fun of Vice President Kamala Harris, often mispronouncing her name on purpose. During his campaign rally in Michigan, he called her "crazy." President Joe Biden, on the other hand, introduced Harris as a potential Democratic contender for the presidential election in November. With her joint campaign with Biden, she stands a good chance of entering the ring.
Although there is no automatic succession, Harris, as Vice President, is designated to replace Biden as President should he fall ill or die - she is not, however, his automatic replacement in the nomination process. Compared to other potential replacements, such as California Governor Gavin Newsom or Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Harris has several advantages - financially, among other things.
Since she is leading a joint campaign with Biden, all donations to the Biden-Harris team up to that point are at her disposal - a significant advantage. Additionally, she has intensively campaigned for the past few months, particularly in the campaign for reproductive rights, which she has taken across the country. Thus, she has already gained a profile in one of the central election issues.
Interviews saw Harris stumble
Columnist Paul Waldman referred to Harris on MSNBC as Biden's "obvious heir." Dismissing her as the daughter of a Jamaican and an Indian, in his opinion, would also be perceived as an insult to Black women, a crucial voting bloc for the party. The former California Attorney General and U.S. Senator became Vice President with great expectations in January 2021: As the first woman and the first Black person in the position, she wrote history, and the role was already seen as a stepping stone for a future presidential campaign.
However, Harris remained rather insipid as Vice President for the most part. The question is, therefore, whether she can emerge from Biden's shadow in the further campaign. This was partly due to the office itself: Vice Presidents in the U.S. often find it difficult to step out of the shadow of the President. Biden also assigned her some less than grateful and complicated tasks, such as managing the migration crisis at the Mexican border. Harris put herself in her way as well. In interviews and other public appearances, she made several missteps, not always appearing poised.
The Democrats cannot necessarily expect Harris to quickly and clearly outshine Biden. In a CNN poll conducted four days after the Biden-Trump debate, she performed better against the Republican presidential candidate than Biden but still lagged behind Trump: With 45%, she was two points behind the Republican, while Biden trailed by six points with 43%.
However, Harris as a potential Vice President for Biden still had time to gain support among voters - particularly on the issue of abortion rights, the nationwide repeal of which by the conservative Supreme Court two years ago sparked widespread frustration and anger.
In her confrontation with the right-wing populist, Harris could also play her entire experience as a former Attorney General: Trump, who was the first ex-US President in history to be criminally indicted and faced three other criminal charges, made for a suitable adversary in this regard.
In light of the United States Presidency Election 2024, Donald Trump continues his criticism of Vice President Kamala Harris, often mispronouncing her name and labeling her as "crazy." Contrastingly, President Joe Biden recognizes Harris as a possible Democratic contender, boosting her chances in future elections due to their joint campaign donations and her advocacy efforts in reproductive rights.
