Suddenly becoming a presidential candidate, lack of opportunity to inform voters
Presented as someone who comes from the middle class and understands the ups and downs of life
Trump’s felony conviction highlights his career as a prosecutor
The Washington Post (WP) reported on the 20th (local time) that Vice President Kamala Harris, who will be giving her acceptance speech for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination at the convention on the 22nd (local time), will focus on introducing her life story.
Vice President Harris, who suddenly became a presidential candidate, has never participated in a Democratic presidential primary or debate. This is why voters do not know much about Harris.
A major goal of Harris’s presidential nomination acceptance speech was to fill this gap.
Since President Joe Biden dropped out of the race, Harris has followed a pattern: She has been giving speeches on nearly the same topic while holding large-scale rallies in swing states. Her speech on the 22nd is not expected to be much different. However, according to those close to her who have been preparing her speech, she is expected to talk more deeply about her personal history and connect it to her policies and vision.
“They need to talk to people directly before Donald Trump does,” said former Harris communications director Jamal Simmons.
The person in charge of writing Harris’s speech is Adam Frankel, who wrote Barack Obama’s speeches in 2008. He also served briefly as a senior adviser to Harris during her first year as vice president. Lorraine Boles, the vice presidential chief of staff, and Shelia Nix, the campaign’s chief of staff, are also heavily involved in the speechwriting. Harris’ surprise appearance at the Democratic National Convention on the 19th was orchestrated by them.
◆A key factor in continuing the election campaign fever
Harris’ speech will play a key role in keeping the Harris campaign going.
“The convention stage will be a great opportunity for Harris to tell the story of her life’s journey: her accomplishments as a prosecutor, her middle-class upbringing, and her vision for the future that contrasts with Donald Trump’s dark and dangerous ideas,” Harris spokesman Brian Fallon said in a statement.
For Harris, this speech is her first opportunity to actively promote herself beyond the groundwork of solidifying her Democratic nomination, taking over President Biden’s campaign, naming Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Tim Walz as her running mate, and coordinating her campaign message. It is also an important step in the process of maintaining momentum and securing victory in the presidential election with only 80 days left.
◆Obama, unlike Clinton, is not an orator
Harris is not an orator, unlike Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton. Her strengths are revealed in small instances where she has demonstrated her ability as a prosecutor, such as when she questioned witnesses while in the Senate and attacked her opponents with sharp remarks during debates. However, the Democratic Party is relieved by Harris’s oratorical skills that she has shown so far.
Harris will highlight her life story, detailing her upbringing and her career in California, including some from her time as a prosecutor. It’s a very different political climate than when she ran for the 2019 presidential nomination. Harris will also discuss cases she’s handled, including multinational crimes, sexual assault cases, and false foreclosures.
Harris, who grew up in a middle-class California home, will emphasize her patriotism by linking her political rise to American history, contrasting it with Trump’s, who Democrats have accused of being more interested in personal gain than in the country.
Meanwhile, California Governor Gavin Newsom, who has known Harris for decades, predicted Harris would be a visionary president. “If she can offer a vision of a forward-looking country where Americans feel respected, forward-thinking, and heard, she’ll be a huge hit,” he said. He stressed that Harris is “tough, disciplined, and very capable. She’ll be indebted to the convention on the 22nd.”
Harris, who became a presidential candidate overnight, never attracted much attention during the 2019 Democratic primary or during her three-year tenure as vice president. Filling that void has become a campaign point for both Democrats and Republicans.
Republicans have attacked Harris as a progressive who ignores reality, and Trump has gone even further, portraying her as un-American. In response, Democrats have tried to solidify their image as a middle-class American with a passionate background as a prosecutor. They plan to highlight this image in their speech on the 22nd.
He will also emphasize that he understands the middle class well, unlike the wealthy Trump, by connecting his life story with the price-control policies he recently announced.
During a recent campaign, Harris told her life story:
◆ “I lived in a rented house most of my childhood.”
At a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, on the 16th, Harris emphasized, “I grew up in a middle-class family. I spent most of my childhood in a rented house. My mother saved for over 10 years before she bought the house. I remember her being really excited about it.”
He also mentioned that he worked at McDonald’s to earn pocket money when he was young. “Some of my coworkers were supporting their families with the money they earned from McDonald’s. They had to work two or three jobs to pay rent and buy food. When prices go up, their lives get harder.”
Harris backs more progressive policies like universal health care, but has backed off her opposition to fracking for oil production, while maintaining immigration and customs enforcement, and has highlighted her background as a prosecutor, contrasting it with Trump’s conviction as the first U.S. president to be convicted of a felony.
Biden has said little about Trump’s trial, but Harris has been more vocal about her background as a prosecutor and her ability to defeat Trump.
◆ “I’ve been dealing with people like Trump my whole life.”
“Trust me when I say I know people like Donald Trump,” Harris said at a rally on the 30th of last month. “I know people like that. I’ve dealt with people like that my whole life.” The framing of Trump as a criminal has continued.
As Harris emerged as the Democratic nominee, Trump tried to attack her in various ways, but his aides were frustrated because he could not deliver a consistent message. He focused on crude personal attacks, emphasizing her as a woman and as a black and Asian person. “This election is different than before,” Trump said last week. “What we have to do is emphasize that our enemies are communists, socialists, and people who are going to destroy our country.”
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2024-08-21 13:22:39