Norris McDonald | Kamala Harris takes big lead in US 2024 presidential race

Vice-President Kamala Harris has taken a strong six-point lead in American public opinion polls over her frenetic opponent Donald Trump. The ABC News-Washington Post August 9-13 poll puts Harris at 51 per cent to Trump’s 45 per cent.

This is truly a fantastic turnaround when one considers that Trump had a big lead over President Biden just before he dropped out a few weeks ago.

Kamala Harris has now emerged as a towering, well-liked, populist leader.

The way things stand, it now appears as if VP Harris is heading down the backstretch with the wind at her back as she takes the turn for home in the 2024 ‘President Cup’ race.

VP Harris is confidently preparing for the presidency by announcing a bold economic plan to tackle America’s housing, homeless crises, and high rent and mortgages.

Under the Harris plan, billions of dollars will be set aside to give first-time home buyers US$25,000 for down payment. This housing fund will help people who urgently need financial assistance.

MESSAGE OF HOPE AND JUSTICE

All the measures that VP Harris announced offer hope to the poor and middle class, who have suffered years of financial and economic stress.

“As President, I will continue our fight for working-class families, including raising the minimum wages,” VP Harris recently said.

Social justice issues were on Harris’ mind, too, as she took a strong stand on the issue of police abuse.

“Let’s speak the truth

too many unarmed black men

and women are killed in America.

too many black and brown

Americans are locked up.

From mass incarceration

to cash bail, to policing

our criminal justice

system needs drastic repair.

Let’s speak that truth.”

Is America ready for a Kamala Harris presidency?

America has given a very strong ‘yes’, by the way Kamala Harris has been embraced by most people.

The telegenic Harris is even getting strong endorsements from present and past Republican officials. Over 20 former Republican members of Congress have endorsed her. So, too, has many sitting and past Republican state officials.

Republican millionaires and billionaires have also donated millions of dollars to support the Harris campaign.

“We are putting America over party,” many of these top Republicans have said.

So, my friends, the issue is not whether America is ready for a female president. What American wanted was a potential female president who deeply feels people’s pain. And someone who could unite the nation around a positive agenda.

Kamala Harris once flipped burgers for the McDonald’s fast-food chain. She has worked her way up to the top, where she is in the apex of political power.

Kamala Harris’ humble roots begun as a child of Afro-Jamaican economist Professor Donald Harris and Tamil Indian mother Dr Shyamala Gopalan, who was a distinguished cancer researcher.

Her career path took her through law, and now into politics. Her rise to prominence demonstrated true political grit.

What a fantastic achievement to see a humble black woman now having a chance to become America’s first female president.

Donald Trump, her opponent, is now in shock and appears to be losing his mind. As he rants and rages, spewing vile, racist and sexist venom at his political clown shows, Kamala Harris’ campaign keeps picking up steam.

It is a real political shocker that in just a couple weeks after Joe Biden bowed out, Kamala Harris appears to be on a victory road.

VICTORY ROAD, POLITICAL RISKS

Public opinion polls give Kamala Harris a potential insurmountable six-point lead over Trump among registered voters who say they will cast a ballot.

Right now, momentum is on VP Harris’ side, which is putting her on the path to victory.

VP Harris has two clear paths to victory. The first path runs through Florida along the Barack Obama 2008 and 2012 winning track.

Kamal Harris’ second pathway to victory, even given an unlikely loss in Florida, is if she takes the 2020 Joe Biden track and win the traditional swing states that she is leading in – Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia.

If she wins Florida, which is quite possible, it would be a bonus on her road to perhaps a landslide victory.

A word of caution. America is pursuing an extremely dangerous imperialist policy that poses grave risks to Harris’ candidacy and, indeed, to any future president. We saw that with the recent attempted coup in Venezuela, like the ‘Napoleon’ Juan Guaido fiasco.

Israel’s continued war in Gaza and the attempts to provoke war with Iran may blow up in America’s face.

Palestine supporters and Biden administration critics also blame VP Harris for being culpable for Israel’s ongoing genocidal action. And even though she recently criticised Israel, critics say it is too late and that stronger action is needed to get a ceasefire in Gaza.

The NATO-conspired Russia-Ukraine war also poses grave risk, as it continues to escalate non-stop.

There are many other stormy issues on the international horizon that can create political challenges for any presidential candidate of the ruling party. So, we must wait and see if any of these hotspots doesn’t blow like a geyser.

The hope is for VP Harris to weather the storm until the November election, and that the warmongers in the Joe Biden administration do not undermine their own Democratic candidate.

Learning to walk between the political raindrops and not getting wet is a skillful art political leaders must master, and that is so true for Kamala Harris as a strong, black, female leader in a white, racist world.

Shrewdness, pragmatism, political strength, moral courage, assertiveness, vision, and timing one’s actions are everything in politics. And what we are witnessing is Kamala Harris emerging as a strong, visionary leader.

History may well be on VP Harris’ side, but let us never forget that it is going to be hard work and perseverance to get votes in the ballot boxes that will perhaps ultimately make Kamala Harris America’s 47th President.

That is just the ‘bitta’ truth.

Norris McDonald is an economic journalist, political analyst, and respiratory therapist. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and miaminorris@yahoo.com.