Kamala, the pasand of Democrats

New Delhi,UPDATED: Aug 6, 2024 16:23 IST

At 1.46 pm on July 21, President Joe Biden withdrew from the Presidential race in the US. A minute later, Kamala Harris was set to call the most influential Democrats. A hundred calls in 10 hours. She also gathered delegates who would assure her nomination when the day came. The day has come. Harris is the Democratic Presidential nominee now.

Harris, a daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants, is set to face Donald Trump in the November 2024 elections. She will be the first woman of colour to lead a majority party ticket. She won 99% of the votes of the 4,567 participating delegates in a virtual roll call vote, reported The Associated Press.

The Democrats are rallying behind Harris unanimously because she can deliver a win. She is their 'pasand' (choice).

The nomination usually takes place in-person at the Democratic Convention (DNC). But this time, it was done online to make it on time for the state deadline for printing ballots, reported The New York Times. The roll call had begun on August 1. By the next day, the only candidate on the ballot who had won the support of most candidates was -- Kamala Harris.

“Vice President Harris has historic momentum at her back as we embark on the final steps of officially certifying her as our party’s nominee,” Jaime Harrison, the DNC chair, and Minyon Moore, the convention chair, said in a statement.

KAMALA HARRIS IS THE ONE FOR THE DEMOCRATS

The Democrats were seeing a dull campaign due to the declining health of President Joe Biden. They badly needed a win, and it might have come in the form of Harris for them.

Many Democrats are feeling more energised with Harris at the forefront than they did with an 81-year-old President with failing health against former President Donald Trump.

Picking anyone else would have been difficult and time-taking as Biden withdrew from the race only three months away from the November elections. Harris is the Vice President and was the running mate of Biden, and she had a track record which could help Democrats with the win they needed.

She brings in Biden's gun violence prevention, abortion rights and democracy and adds her prosecutor background to it. She speaks of his felony convictions and says she "knows his type".

The Democrats needed this fierce delivery. At this time, only Harris could bring it.

“Given that unique voice of a new generation, of a prosecutor and a woman when fundamental rights, especially reproductive rights, are on the line, it’s almost as if the stars have aligned for her at this moment in history,” Democratic Senator Alex Padilla of California told the Associated Press.

HARRIS BRINGS THE FIERCE DELIVERY DEMOCRATS NEED

Kamala Harris arrived in Washington as a Senator during Trump's Presidency. She quickly became an opponent of his policies. Many speculated about her own aspirations.

Harris was also a part of the Judiciary Committee, and she questioned Trump-appointed nominees such as Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

“I’m not able to be rushed this fast,” then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions said as Harris questioned him about his conversation with Russian nationals. "It makes me nervous," he added, reports AP.

Harris will also be beneficial in bringing in the swing voters to the Democrats. The young Black voters. They were less inclined to vote for Biden than they are for Harris, according to ABC.

Harris's bi-racial identity would help her connect with South Asians, Blacks and other immigrants in the US. This would lead to more votes for the Democrats.

Harris could also do one more thing. She could unite the Democrats under her leadership and give Trump a good fight.

KAMALA HARRIS AND THE CRITICISM AGAINST HER

But many critics of Harris have their doubts. They speak of her poor poll performance.

An article by the NY Post even said that Harris's rise was a surprise to many, including Harris herself. It said how Harris's ideology is similar to that of California, which is “extreme preformative endorsement of the latest thing.” It also called her a "historical accident" and a sign of "inscrutable perversity of our age".

There are also questions about her stance on the Israel-Gaza war after Harris did not attend Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the Congress.

Her racial identity and its use in the campaign worries critics of Harris. They find identity groups such as 'Black women for Harris' or 'White Dudes for Harris' are a sign of segregation and fear it would also be the future of the US.

There are also concerns about her stance on immigration as a daughter of immigrants herself.

Now, Harris is set to contest Trump in the November elections. There are many reasons why Democrats picked Harris, but only time will come if Harris can also address her critics and reach out to more people in the US election. This would be a deciding factor in the elections. For now, Democrats have no better option than her, and she is their unanimous 'pasand' (choice).

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