By Mayank Chhaya-
In getting the full endorsement of President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris has already made history from the standpoint of the Indian American community, becoming the first likely nominee for president of partly their shared heritage.
There is every expectation that with barely four months remaining for the presidential election and the Biden-Harris ticket having been voted by some 14 million Democrats in the primaries, she will eventually become the nominee.
In theory, it is possible that other aspirants may jump into the race but as of now odds favor Harris as the party prepares for their convention in Chicago between August 19 and 22.
Literally within a couple of hours of Biden announcing his decision to withdraw, major donors, who were holding back their donation if the president persisted with his re-election, were reportedly rushing back to start giving money.
In a somewhat surprise announcement in the aftermath of his formal letter to step aside, the president tweeted, “My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”
It was reported that Biden’s decision to withdraw was made in the last 48 hours, but it is entirely possible that Harris was already taken into confidence given that she would have hit the ground running once she becomes the nominee.
Irrespective of her eventual nomination, let alone her potential victory in November, Harris has already made history in earning Biden’s full endorsement as someone of partly Indian origin.
Even though the Trump campaign was said to have braced for Harris’s rise as the nominee, Biden’s formal announcement to withdraw and endorse her have thrown a spanner in their works. For popular consumption, they are likely to say that former President Donald Trump would find it easier to defeat Harris than Biden. However, it has significantly upended their plans, especially because Harris has the potential to chip away at the votes of independent women voters worried over the extremist position of the Republican Party denying them abortion and women’s reproductive rights.
Of course, there are many among the Democratic Party who are skeptical about Harris’s ability to win but at this stage of the campaign the party does not have too many effective alternatives. Harris has the advantage of having been part of an administration that the Democrats generally considered historically successful.
In his letter of withdrawal, Biden himself referred to some of his accomplishments. “Today, America has the strongest economy in the world. We’ve made historic investments in rebuilding our Nation, in lowering prescription drug costs for seniors, and in expanding affordable health care to a record number of Americans. We’ve provided critically needed care to a million veterans exposed to toxic substances. Passed the first gun safety law in 30 years. Appointed the first African American woman to the Supreme Court. And passed the most significant climate legislation in the history of the world. America has never been positioned to lead better than we are today,” he said in his letter.
Curiously, Biden has chosen not to address the nation right away but instead said he would do so later this week. That could be because of his Covid-related illness.
