Opinion: Kamala Harris Must Be the Candidate. This Is How She Beats Trump

It is time for the Democratic Party and the people of the United States to unite in support of Vice President Kamala Harris to be the next president of the United States.

There are few challenges greater than running for president of the United States. But for the Vice President, those challenges will be compounded by the fact that her situation is unprecedented. Yet, it is vital to recognize that the alternatives to Harris’ smooth selection as nominee of the Democratic Party and her election as president of the United States are disaster for the country and the likely end of democracy in America as we have known it.

President Biden ’s decision not to run, announced in a letter released at midday on Sunday, was an act of grace and courage the likes of which we have not seen from an American political leader in recent memory. Asserting “it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden provided a capstone to what will be seen by history as a remarkable presidency.

His accomplishments, some of which were cited in the letter, from revitalizing a pandemic ravaged economy to restoring American leadership in the world, from making unprecedented investments in infrastructure, technology and protecting our climate to reducing prescription costs, exceed in scope and impact those of any president of the past sixty years.

And then when, recognizing the peril posed by the possible election of a Republican nominee for president who has promised to be a dictator from day one, Biden concluded that it was his responsibility to the country he has served for half a century to step aside. This, he has concluded, is to ensure not only victory for Democrats in November but the preservation of our system of government and the rule of law in the United States.

History books will sing his praises. But we need not wait for historians to do their assessments. All of who have supported Biden, regardless of how they may have felt about his decision not to run, can show their respect and appreciation for Biden by immediately doing all in their power to support the Vice President.

Biden wrote in a Tweet, “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.”

In another statement, Harris—after paying fulsome tribute to Biden—said she was “honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination. Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election. And that is what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead. I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party—and unite our nation—to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda.”

Senior Democrats with whom I have spoken on Capitol Hill, and who have been working on the Biden campaign, expect that with Biden’s strong endorsement the likelihood of a hotly contested race to succeed Biden as the nominee is reduced substantially. Conversations had begun within the White House during the past several days that hinted at how the transition to Harris might be managed. I have also heard that some initial very preliminary discussions regarding potential Harris running mates have taken place.

Nonetheless, the first hurdle following the Biden announcement will be the clarification of the process to replace him as the nominee. It is critical given the limited time remaining before Election Day, for these details to be worked out as soon as possible by party leaders. In addition, of course, the focus of the Democratic Convention, which is scheduled to begin in Chicago on August 19, will have to shift dramatically to highlight the new nominee, presumably Harris, her vice presidential pic, their vision and how it differs from that of the Republican as revealed during last week’s GOP convention.

The contrasts between the two campaigns should be dramatically heightened should Harris top the ticket. Clearly, Harris is much younger, the first Gen X presidential candidate. She is a woman. She is the first African American to serve as Vice President and the first Asian American. Her parents were immigrants. Her mother was a scientist working on breast cancer research. Her father is a professor of economics. Harris is of course, well-known for having been a prosecutor, the attorney general of California and a Senator. Finally, she has been at the right hand of Joe Biden throughout his extraordinarily successful first term of office.

Her profile makes Harris the ideal nominee the Democrats could pick to challenge and defeat Trump. Her youth contrasts with the fact that he is elderly and has shown signs of mental deterioration.

As a woman, she has led the administration’s advocacy for women’s reproductive freedom, perhaps the central issue in American politics since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade with its Dobbs decision. Trump and Vance have been characterized as the most anti-woman ticket in American history. They likely will be running against a woman who, should she win, will become the first woman president in U.S. history.

Her background as an African-American and Asian-American will contrast starkly with the white supremacist, racist themes and attitudes of Trump , Vance , and the MAGA GOP. As the daughter of immigrants, she will be able to speak persuasively against the inhumane, in many cases illegal, anti-immigrant policies that were the centerpiece of the GOP platform revealed at last week’s Milwaukee convention.

That her mother was a scientist plays well in counterpoint to the anti-science biases of Trump and, for that matter, of third party candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. And as a prosecutor, Harris can be expected to make her case effectively to the American public and to make any potential debate with Trump miserable for the GOP candidate.

Once the question of Harris nomination is settled, of course, there are other big hurdles to clear to ensure that Biden’s act of self-sacrifice in the interests of the country is not in vein.

First, Harris must be enabled to put in place her own campaign team and to truly lead the ticket and the party. While she should take advantage of the work done to date by the Biden team and the fact that that it has a national operation in place and significant funding in hand, it is vital that she trusts those atop the campaign apparatus and knows that they will follow her lead.

As a senior Democratic strategist put it to me, “The campaign cannot be a two-headed monster.” The president must be able to govern and lead in his constitutional capacity. She must continue to support him in that but she must be seen as the leader of the party and, if you will, as the commander-in-chief of the campaign.

As importantly, beginning right now, the Democratic Party must unite behind Harris. The debates of the past few weeks following the presidential debate must be set aside. There must be no recriminations. Every part of the party and all those who are independents or Republicans or former Republicans who seek to preserve and protect American democracy, the rights of women and people of color, must not only unite but commit to working tirelessly on behalf of the Democratic ticket. It will take a massive, coordinated effort to ensure that not only are Trump and Vance soundly beaten, but that Democrats succeed up and down the ballot.

The good news is that while Biden’s poll numbers have been stagnant or struggling, Democratic candidates for the Senate, the House and state offices are doing well, often better than Biden. That means the party’s brand is solid, and the basis for a Harris win in the fall is there.

A major win for the Democrats in November is now possible. If the party and Americans at large respond as they should to Sunday’s stunning news, then, the party should emerge newly energized and the prospects that Vice President Kamala Harris is sworn in next January as President Kamala Harris will be excellent.

Read more at The Daily Beast.