Lance Neita | Has Trump been trumped?

July continues to be the month of rapid-fire events. Among them Hurricane Beryl, the Trump attempted assassination, the COPA and the EURO dramatic finals, and the 2024 Olympics – all of which are making this a month to remember.

Then along comes the US presidential turnaround which has seen Kamala Harris storm into the presidential race with a burst of effervescence and enthusiasm that has swept her to the top of the polls and sent the Republicans into disarray.

If, as the Republicans boast, the assassination attempt was an act of God, then this dramatic change of focus from the ageing Biden to the younger Harris has given America and the Democrats an uplift of spirit, hope and gratitude for what seems like a miracle created by an unseeing hand to rescue the USA from an unpredictable future of MAGA government.

Marcus Garvey must be smiling proudly at this turn of events. After all, Kamala, his parishioner, is black, and it was Garvey, more than any other person, who ‘did fly the gate’ for black people to resolve to unite and make a stand as they discover their ability to gain full and equal recognition of their being and their worth.

This is not the first time we have been to this place. Former chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff and Secretary of State, Colin Powell, a son of Jamaican immigrants from St Elizabeth and Westmoreland, was invariably put forward as a presidential candidate even after his retirement.

He was touted as a possible opponent of Bill Clinton in the 1996 US presidential election, but he declined, citing a lack of passion for politics. Would you believe it: Powell defeated Clinton 50–38 in a hypothetical match-up proposed to voters in the exit polls conducted on election day?

As Louise Bennett, who is right now itching to write a poem about our darlin’ Kamala Harris, would say, “We don’t stop here”.

BIG SCORE FOR JAMAICA

Jamaica scored big on the international stage when our Jamaican daughter was sworn in as Vice President of the United States of America on January 20, 2021.

Her appointment was seen not just as a strategic move by President Biden, but as a major breakthrough for women in that country.

I recall that at the time some persons felt disappointed that this important personage was not of a lighter hue, but Kamala, with typical Jamaican enthusiasm and charm, quickly broke the back of prejudice and took her place in the vice president’s office with pride and a sense of proprietorship, almost like she owned it.

The vice president is of Jamaican roots, and no matter any odd silence regarding her Jamaican background, the truth is that Kamala Harris is one of us, looks like one of us, and her beauty, intellect, and that charming smile identifies her indelibly as a daughter of this soil. She has unquestionably put back the much-needed smile on the American face.

America’s pending date with history is going to be an equally important historic moment for Jamaica as well. Naturally, Jamaica has to be right up there ‘fassing’ in America’s business. We have a habit of making our presence felt all over the world.

It is said that no matter where you go on this planet you are bound to buck up a Jamaican. Our diaspora is deep and wide. Go to the remotest part of the globe and you will come across the accent, the posture, the hospitality, and you may even hear one or two of the distinguishable four letters to make you feel at home.

Iconic figures such as Marcus Garvey, Usain Bolt, Bob Marley, George Headley, Herb McKenley, Mike McCallum, Louise Bennett, Jimmy Cliff, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Harry Belafonte, Claude McKay, our four Miss Worlds, and international voices in medicine, academia, culture, entertainment, political leadership, commerce, theatre, industry, and diplomatic circles, have lifted Jamaica’s name high on the international circuit.

If you are lost, in need of help, lost your passport, stuck abroad, call any of these names and someone is bound to identify with you and provide some sort of homeland security.

The Democratic nominee for the post of President of the United States now heads that list of distinguished Jamaica personalities.

Awesome!

Her heritage is Indian and Jamaican and both sides of the Atlantic are proud of her.

WALK CAREFULLY THROUGH THE RAINDROPS

Her reception has been overwhelming, the poll ratings almost unbelievable, and the fundraising historic. But the election is some four months away, and as every election watcher knows, one day in politics can be like a lifetime.

Kamala must walk carefully through the raindrops and avoid being carried away by this unprecedented acclamation bestowed so early in her campaign.

She has time and enough advisors to tell her when to play the pop culture memes and when to wear the more sober face of statesmanship demanded of someone fit to be vested with great authority and be the most powerful elected official in the world.

As her Jamaican grandmother would probably caution her at this time, “take care, me dear, chicken merry, hawk dey near”.

Her opponents will have already stalked out every inch of her career and her lifespan searching for clues which they can easily conjure up into blatant falsehood and slander.

Brown’s Town residents will be besieged by the fake media and political party henchmen who will be quick to turn innocent answers into headline blaring lies and scandal. Watch it my countrymen, ‘kibber yu mouth’ in answer to those tempting questions and even a padded envelope offered here and there.

When she made her first public appearance the day following Biden’s announcement, we all sensed that a change is coming. We are feeling good for the USA, for as they say, a change has got to come, and change is here.

Lance Neita is a public relations consultant, historian, and election watcher. Email feedback to lanceneita@hotmail.com and columns@gleanerjm.com.