Kamala Harris and the 2024 Election

Let me tell you that it was an enormous surprise to get a phone call from President Biden.  He called to thank me for my last rant (Can He Win?).  He said it really helped him clarify the situation for himself and the Democrats and was very gracious in thanking me for providing him with that slight push to the right decision.  He also said he would do anything to help Kamala beat “that sonofabitch Trump” and invited me to contribute to her campaign.

Okay, that didn’t really happen.

But President’s Biden decision to withdraw from the Presidential campaign and the subsequent support from many of the Dem heavyweights seem to bear out what my last rant indicated was needed.  I am not prescient by any means, a quick decision on the Biden candidacy (yes/no) and then a quick rallying to the chosen candidate if not Biden was and is absolutely critical.  We are still a month away from the Convention, lots can happen if not controlled.

Four years ago, I wrote a rant that I never published titled “How the Dems could blow 2020.”  Some of those warnings are, I believe, still quite relevant.  To quote myself.

• They could nominate Elizabeth Warren.  While relatively effective as a Senator (when her party is in power), she is a fabulous target for the Republicans as a Presidential candidate for a plethora of solid reasons.  Great to have as a Senator.  Not a Presidential candidate.
• They could nominate Bernie Sanders.  Bernie has been ineffective as a Senator and IS a Socialist.  The Republicans will make him look like the next edition of Marx and Lenin.  Except he supports the NRA.  Enough said.

In an attempt to reverse the Dem’s amazing ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, this time both Warren and Sanders have backed Kamala Harris.  So have members of the “Squad” and other Dem luminaries like Pete Buttigieg, Josh Shapiro, Hillary and Bill Clinton. 

And 24 hours later, (and miraculously, I might add)  most Dems, and most of the potential alternatives to Harris have already signed on.  In the space of two days, it appears that Kamala has enough committed delegates for the nomination.  Oh, yeah and she raised over $80 million – a new 24-hour record.

To continue from 2020:

• [The Dems] could completely miss the need for a strong message in support of wage growth, jobs, and middle-class opportunity and fairness while screaming about “Tax the Rich, and “Medicare for all” and “Free College” without anyone trying to craft plans that would actually work and would not bankrupt the nation.  [Note: I think there are reasonable and workable variations of each of those suggestions above, but not as sound bites).  They should remember that identity politics killed them in 2016 and would hurt them again this time around.  In short the rest of this year’s campaigning needs to avoid any taint of being so “out there” as to scare moderate Democrats let alone any independents and never-Trumper Republicans.

What I wrote in 2020 remains true in 2024.

I would also add the critical need in 2024 to avoid niche issues (publicly) and culture war issues like dedication to “woke” principles, the concept of “colonial-settlers”, and  spouting academic gobbled-gook that makes the Dems look like fringe actors.  Although some of Squad/Democratic Socialist of America have come around in support of Harris, it is critical that the Democratic Party keeps various factions like the DSA quiet.  Internal debate, of course.  Public debate, never, from here on out.

The issues I believe that the Dems need to leverage against Trump/Vance are strong enough, e.g.  women’s rights, civil rights, voting rights, and economic fairness.  Use defense of democracy.  Support of NATO.  Not being both beholden and enamored of autocrats.  Separation of church and state.  Abortion rights.  The corruption of Trump judicial appointments and giving Trump another shot at more seats on the Supreme Court.

If the Democratic candidate is Kamala Harris, I do not think Trump would dare to  debate her.  A guy with 81 indictments, one conviction, and a bought judge shilling for him on another case versus the former attorney general of California?  But if he does, Kamala is capable of, and needs to, land some truly knockout shots.  She is certainly capable of doing so.  No mercy.

The Democrats do have to do some negative campaigning.  I would suggest doing it in a way that uses Trump’s and Vance’s and others’ words against them.  Quote Vance and Christie, and the Joint Chiefs, and Chief of Staff General John Kelly, Attorney General Bob Barr and others.  What they said about Trump is excoriating.  Use it.  Expose his lies.  Reiterate his convictions and indictments, his corruption as a businessman, and his behavior as a sexual abuser. 

Illustrate what having Trump serve another term means for our relationship with NATO, for the freedom of the Ukrainians, for our democracy and adherence to our Constitution.  Finally and perhaps most effective – point out his lies and his meandering nonsense.  Do to Trump what he did to Biden in his moment of confusion…say “what?”  Do not let the press off the hook on this, and get a social media presence that factually confronts every lie.  Yeah, it will likely take an army, but it will be worth it.

In response to my last rant, a reader said that although I call my self a moderate, the position I took in “Can He Win?” was anything but.  That’s right.  If, when it comes to upholding our democracy, our compassion, and our want (if never or even close to completely well executed) for fairness requires me not to be moderate I will meet that challenge.

At this point it sure looks like the Democrat candidate will be Vice-President Kamala Harris.  Harris has the ability to be a terrific candidate, one that can stir the motivation of groups that Biden left a bit cold, i.e., Black voters, particularly women, younger voters, and those Dems uncertain about Biden’s capabilities over the next Presidential term. She will galvanize the Democrat’s base.

When it comes to compassion for the American people, concern for the rights and economic opportunities for all people, a foreign policy based on democratic principles, and a commitment to the Constitution, Kamala Harris is a much better candidate than Donald Trump.