Robin Epley
The question everyone has been asking in hushed tones now grows to a roar: Does Kamala Harris have what it takes to beat Donald Trump?
God, I hope so. The future of American democracy might depend on it.
Harris’ sudden candidacy represents hope that is desperately needed among the centrist and left-leaning American electorate, many of whom could not imagine President Joe Biden beating Trump.
Now that the party has listened to voters and Biden has been convinced to step aside, it’s time for us to line up behind Harris.
But as much as centrists and progressives alike would love to see a woman of color in the Oval Office, it’s going to be a tough campaign over the next few months for 59-year-old Harris, whose vice presidency has been marred with embarrassing political missteps as much as there’s been rampant racism and misogyny to block her way.
Harris’s approval rating slumped drastically in the first year, making her one of the least popular vice presidents in history. But partially, at least, that narrative comes from one bad poll conducted in 2021, in the depths of the early pandemic and during a downturn in the economy that we’ve still not been able to bounce back from. The numbers also showed a dip in Biden’s approval at the same time. So how much of this was bad press early on that has just, well — stuck around?
The title of the first female vice president was always going to be tough. And historically, the possibility of a female president hasn’t gone well for the candidate. (See: Shirley Chisholm, Michelle Bachmann, Jill Stein, and Hillary Clinton.)
But do Americans share enough disgust over Trump this year to forget their traditional misogyny when it comes to the top job?
Harris may be the right candidate to overcome it. Important swing states like North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Nevada have large Black communities, who may flock to the polls to put the first Black female president in office. And women, pregnant people, and those who love them of every gender may also see an ally in Harris to help reinstate the protections Roe v. Wade once offered.
Trump is leading in the polls, but his lead can be overcome.
However, believing we’ll be OK in blue states regardless of who wins is a false comfort. The truth is that nowhere in this country will be safe if Trump wins the presidency again, and we have to vote like it. The Democratic Party did what we asked them to do — they convinced Biden to step aside, no easy feat — and now it’s our turn to line up behind that candidate.
There may even be some asking if this is the right time to run an all-female ticket.
There’s certainly Michigan’s governor, Gretchen Whitmer, waiting in the wings. She recently said she would “never say never” to serving as Vice President Harris’ running mate. I think one day — perhaps in four years — she would be an excellent presidential candidate. Or perhaps the name the Dems choose will be that of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who recently reaffirmed her support for Biden — as long as he stayed in the race.
Frankly, it’s embarrassing that other major countries like the United Kingdom, Bangladesh, Iceland, Finland, Peru, Norway, and now even our close neighbor Mexico have all had female leaders, while the U.S. lags, shackled by the misogyny in our political system.
But this country’s continued sexism is exactly why I think the Democrats shouldn’t name two women to the ticket. It may still be too much of an issue for too many voters in this country to put to the test in such a crucial election.
I would suggest the Dems name a moderate male politician from a crucial swing state who will appease left-leaning centrists looking for anything that resembles tradition and stability in the White House for the next four years — even if that’s not the ultimate direction many progressives and liberals would like to see the party go, myself included. Democrats need votes more than they need sweeping change, and a female candidate may already be pushing away votes that are desperately needed.
Regardless, whoever shares the ticket with Harris has my vote. She has my support in a way I could never give to Biden. Now we wait and see if a majority of Americans are ready to support a new Democratic ticket for the presidency.
