Conventions are in the rearview mirror and the lone presidential debate that featured the former U.S. president and current vice-president is now a thing of the past. While the Harris campaign is overjoyed with the execution and results of both events, they still just aren’t enough for her to win.
The sprint to the White House comes to its climactic end less than 45 days from now and the would-be history maker is still in search of her breakthrough: That game-changing speech; a leadership moment; the historical-altering event that crystallizes Harris, in the minds and eyes of a nation, as presidential.
Between now and November 5, the only major event left on the campaign calendar is the vice-presidential debate scheduled for Oct. 1 in New York City. Millions will certainly tune in, out of scant curiosity, to watch the two national political novices face off. However, it is doubtful the Walz-Vance showdown will garner the nearly 70 million views Harris and Trump generated on a warm summer evening in Philadelphia. Therefore, it’s highly unlikely enough hearts and minds will be moved one way or the other to change the trajectory of the race for either side.
Harris has aggressively attempted to goad Trump into another debate, only to see the former reality television star firmly reject any potential rematch. Moreover, even though poll after poll overwhelmingly showed Harris winning their only encounter, it was Donald Trump, the master provocateur, that came away with the viral moment. Even in a losing effort, his bizarre and perennially debunked claim of Haitian migrants eating residents’ pets was undoubtedly the biggest takeaway from the debate.
Flummoxing assassination attempts; outlandish accusations; and confounding attacks on Jewish voters are just some of the viral moments, good or bad, that give the mercurial GOP presidential nominee residency in the heads of voters of every stripe and demographic.
Nevertheless, it’s the Democratic challenger, clinging to a slim, albeit sustained lead, that is desperate to find new ways and strategies that resonate with the electorate. The Vice-President’s recent sit down with the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) was largely well-received and many political onlookers believe she actually scored points with black men -- a key demographic for both political camps.
However, it’s still Trump’s combative and controversial interview with the NABJ during their annual convention in Chicago back in August that still reverberates, even with the most casual voter. Questioning the racial identity of the first woman of colour vice-president at an event featuring only people of colour was not only both brazen and daring, but also shook the entire political landscape.
After nearly a decade in politics and even now, the ex-president’s penchant for bellicosity still resonates. Making headlines, dominating the news cycle and even influencing the policy machinations of the GOP-controlled House of Representatives, Trump's words, when connected to a captive audience, can still cause electoral tremors.
Many political observers on both sides of the aisle will applaud Harris's metamorphosis into a sterling presidential candidate. Her nimbleness, discipline, and command of the grand political stage has shocked even her most ardent detractors. She has run a flawless campaign, absent the mistakes, missteps, and foibles that befall even the most seasoned and battle-tested politicians. However, for all her perfection and sheen, she is still on the hunt; still searching; still needing that moment, that breakthrough, that sets her apart.
Democratic presidential nominee Vice-President Kamala Harris waves to supporters during a rally on Sept. 20, 2024, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
For all her efforts and yearning, maybe that moment is already upon her, staring Harris and her team directly in the face. Maybe it has been there all along. And maybe like Barack Obama, it is time for Harris to step into her moment. A time and juncture that is uniquely made for her.
During President Obama’s historic run to the White House, his seminal speech on race confronted the nation's original sin. With eloquence, nuance, and empathy, then-Senator Barack Obama was able to step into his moment, his breakthrough, and help a nation to exorcise its demons and take another step towards being the shining city on the hill.
Perhaps it is time for the vice-president to confront America’s centuries-old quagmire of misogyny and gender inequality. Before he could lead the nation as its Commander-in-Chief, Obama first had to lead the nation out of its racial morass. Eight years later and another woman is on the cusp of history and quite possibly what is standing in the way is not the opposition, but Harris herself.
Before she can be seen as the woman to lead the nation, she must confront its systemic inequity that too often has seen and treated women as second-class citizens. Lead the country in facing down its complicated legacy on gender and it just might, in return, reward you with ascension to the highest office in the land.
A member of the audience reacting to remarks made by Democratic presidential nominee Vice-President Kamala Harris at a campaign event on Sept. 20, 2024, in Atlanta (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Historic fundraising, rockstar endorsements, and packed rallies aside, the imminently qualified first female vice-president still confronts lingering doubts. Even after being the tie-breaking vote that saved pensions all across the nation, the Teamsters Union leadership still withheld its support.
Even after delivering a stellar debate performance, questions about her readiness still abound. Even after acing a cavalcade of one-on-one interviews at the national and local level, the uncertainty has not dissipated.
Perhaps it is no longer about searching, chasing, or courting a moment, but more about confronting, owning, standing up and staring down centuries of gender imbalance. Maybe, just maybe, by acknowledging the shackles that have held women back and breaking every chain that has held women subservient to men over their bodies, their advancements, and their overall growth and freedom, her ascendance that will take her over the top will truly take root. A freedom to cast off the weight misogyny. A freedom to take another giant leap that will move a nation closer to that mythical shining city on the hill. A leap that will finally give Vice-President Harris, like Obama, her breakthrough.
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