Talented prosecutor and unifier, Kamala Harris is America's best hope - opinion

Hours after US President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, she responded to the call of a party saddled with uncertainly and sorely lacking a leader with the qualities to galvanize and unite.

Her subsequent performance on the stump has demonstrated that she is not only up to the task but also the candidate who will give Trump a run for his money and expose him for what he really is: a man who will not make America great again but the one who will bring shame to the United States and destroy its greatness.

No one but Harris can possibly fathom how fateful her mission is and how arduous the road will be that she must travel to restore America’s political and social civility. She knows she is writing a new chapter on America’s destiny, and cannot fail.

Harris enjoys many professional skills and attributes and can build on Biden’s legacy and remarkable achievements over the past four years. Here are nine reasons Harris can, and most likely will, crush Trump in the upcoming election. 

Harris is inspiring: There was a hunger among Democrats to find someone other than Biden to coalesce around without infighting, a candidate who could restore dignity to politics. Harris has engendered tremendous enthusiasm and the polls have already reflected the public fervor for change, a trend that she can sustain as we edge closer to election day. The enthusiasm she evoked has also translated to raising a record amount of $200 million in the week since she became the presumptive nominee.      

Age advantage: Harris is relatively young (59) and energetic, with charisma, stamina, and natural flair. She can now turn the tables on Trump and use his age against him – he is old (77), goes off on tangents, and is generally incoherent, all of which reflects that his age caught up with him. 

Gender advantage: Post-Hillary Clinton, many voters of all ethnicities and ages have become more comfortable with the idea of a woman as president. Moreover, at a time of extreme political tension and divisiveness, women tend to work out compromises and keep a respectful tone in politics, which is particularly needed in this poisonous political atmosphere. She will be in a perfect position to deal with an angry, unhinged, and temperamental fool like Trump. 

Skilled prosecutor: As an experienced prosecutor in California and attorney general, Harris is best positioned to prosecute the case against Trump like no other. She has prosecuted, over the years, sex offenders, grand larcenists, tax evaders, and swindlers. As she recently said, “I know his type.” Trump will sweat it out with her, not knowing where the next punch is coming from. 

Energizing young Democrats: Many young Black women have been reinvigorated by Harris’ campaign, in part due to her race and gender, with a Zoom fundraising event raising over $1.5 million the same day Biden endorsed her. Many young Black men who were disenchanted by Biden and considered giving Trump a chance have returned to the fold. They sought someone to inspire them, and Harris has come to quench their yearning.

Galvanizes hesitant Democrats and anxious Republicans: Given the concerns of a growing number of Democrats about Biden’s age and frailty when he was the de facto nominee of his party and many Republicans’ anxiety over Trump’s unfitness to serve another term, many eligible voters have been swayed to not vote at all. That has changed with the rise of Harris to the top of the ticket. She now offers a viable alternative, fundamentally altering the election’s trajectory in her favor.

Supporting abortion rights: Biden, who is a Catholic, supports women’s right to choose, but is not the strongest Democratic orator on the issue, given his personal religious beliefs. Harris, on the other hand, has already been Biden’s surrogate on the issue, becoming the first vice president to visit a Planned Parenthood clinic in March, and has made women’s right to abortion one of her central themes. Approximately 65% of all women oppose the Supreme Court’s decision to annul Roe v. Wade and found the draconian anti-abortion laws passing in red states to be despicable and chauvinist. The majority of these women will flock toward Harris, giving her a significant advantage.   

More time to campaign: Unlike Biden, who must still deal with mounting domestic and foreign policy issues, Harris has considerably more time to campaign, with the resilience and energy needed, especially in every swing state. Harris is engaging and an increasing number of undecided voters in these crucial swing states find her refreshing, with solid ideas that address their concerns. 

Excellent debater: As California’s attorney general, Harris honed her public speaking skills and became an excellent debater who is engaging and charismatic. Harris is very good at punching back forcefully, which puts her opponent on the defensive. In any debate with Trump, all he will do is bark back and keep trying to change the subject. But he is no match for Harris’ piercing counter-attack, which may force him to lose his composure and badly expose his vulnerabilities.  

Harris has some challenges before her, but her ability to overcome these obstacles will prove her potential. 

Combating prejudices and mitigating disadvantages: Many Republicans have spared no time criticizing her on a range of issues: that she failed in addressing the immigration problem, is too liberal, has no experience in foreign policy, is disingenuous, and is fully supportive of Biden’s policies, which they consider to be an utter failure – and will be unable to distance herself from his agenda. 

Harris needs to overcome these real or perceived disadvantages. She will continue to face prejudices, particularly racism and sexism, which are hard to mitigate, as old white men would want to stop her. However, Harris can overcome most of these obstacles, provided she projects herself as a uniter who is out to mend the horrific social and political schism that has affected this country to the core. 

Harris needs to demonstrate that she is a moderate Democrat; defend democracy; and draw a clear contrast with extremist Republicans. She must focus on the economy and keep Biden’s promise to cap rent increases, limit income tax on those earning less than $400,000 a year, ban medical debt from credit reports, and forgive student loans that have saddled borrowers with endless debt.

FINALLY, HARRIS knows that millions of Republicans despise Trump and wish that he would disappear from the political scene and that sanity would be restored to a party that has lost its way – a party that stood for constructive conservatism, respected the rule of law, stood for fair and free elections, strengthened America’s alliances and leadership in the world, and stood firm against Russia and China. Such Republicans are not Hillary Clinton’s “deplorables.” They are dedicated Americans to whom Harris must appeal and solicit their involvement and even offer high-profile positions to those who want to share her vision about America’s future. 

Harris must now articulate that vision for the US and explain why she would be the best person to lead the country at this fateful time in American history. Harris must make a new contract with America founded on unity of purpose, growth, and prosperity while safeguarding our democracy with zeal. She can, and I believe will, win this election because America is desperately ready for change. Harris is best positioned to lead the way.

The writer is a retired professor of international relations, most recently at the Center for Global Affairs at NYU. He taught courses on international negotiation and Middle Eastern studies.