A Combative Kamala Harris Will Energize Democrats and Take the Fight to Donald Trump

What Vice President Kamala Harris brings to this campaign is energy. The last two years have seen the inevitability of a geriatric race when neither contestant could speak intelligently or authoritatively all the time. That changes now. Kamala Harris brings a sense of purpose, a hard-nosed attitude toward campaigning, as well as a zest for combat. She had shown these in good measure while serving as a prosecutor, and later, Attorney General, in California; as a senator-notably when interviewing Brett Kavanaugh and asking him whether he recalled in laws that legislate male body parts — as well as early on in the campaign, where she provided one hiccup to Biden’s attempt to become a Democratic candidate in 2020. 

Her primary campaign never got underway and she dropped out, and as vice president, she was noted more for her lack of visibility. But over the last year, she showed herself to be a loyal subordinate, and given the nature of the tasks that were thrown at her, such as the unsolvable migrant crisis that threatens the West, she could hardly be successful.  She has, however, proved to be a strong defender of abortion and women’s rights.

What can we look forward to ahead? Certainly a feisty campaign, and unlike President Biden, whose age showed in the first debate, we can expect Harris to be much more combative and incisive. She is likely to take the moderate positions of her predecessor, but there might be some differences in foreign policy, such as on Israel. A big task will be to define herself quickly in the next two months and win over enough uncommitted voters. She’s of the right age, not too young to be associated with the likes of AOC, and yet not old enough like Elizabeth Warren to be considered an “ older” person. 

The tricky part for vice presidential candidates, who are contesting an election for the presidency, is to both disassociate themselves from the weaker parts of the predecessor, but link themselves to the successes of the outgoing administration. Kamala Harris’ success in doing so will determine whether she can defeat Trump. There appears to be consternation in the Trump camp over her candidacy and there was a frank admission a few days ago by Sen. Lindsey Graham that Harris would prove to be a formidable opponent. 

Harris’ candidacy will solidify the African-American vote, which proved to be crucial in the 2020 election for Biden after Jim Clyburn of South Carolina delivered the primary for him. 

A second issue is while Republicans try to paint her as a leftist from San Francisco, she is viewed mostly as the daughter of immigrants, but one who is all-American. She will attract a large number of women, immigrants, and professionals.

She’s a sharp debater and has a good track record behind her in California. While she stumbled a bit during her last presidential campaign, trying to get the candidacy, and was relatively isolated during the vice presidency, this also means she cannot be tied to any specific presidential weaknesses or failures. She can present herself as her own person.

It is also worth mentioning Harris’ stand on one of the most divisive foreign policy issues of this election, which also happens to be Biden’s Achilles Heel — the Gaza war. Biden’s seemingly unqualified embrace of Israel led to his very low standing among Arab Americans, and this would prove to be dangerous in states like Michigan where there’s a high concentration of Middle Eastern immigrants. However, Harris stood out for calling for a cease-fire a few weeks ago at a time when the administration was relatively quiet. This will mean she is viewed as a better candidate by any pro-Palestinian group. On the other hand, pro-Israeli groups have no reason to dislike her.

While Donald Trump remains dismissive of all his opponents, he is likely to face a stronger challenge from Harris, who is quick at retorts and sharp in her debating style.

Finally, all of Trump’s gaffes in not remembering people’s names, or confusing them with other people will now become much more apparent when faced with a coherent, younger, more dynamic opponent.

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Milind Thakar is a Professor of International Relations at the University of Indianapolis. He is a Public Voices Fellow at the Op-Ed Project.