A leader showed up in Philadelphia named Kamala Harris.
Sometimes you just need a heavyweight champion of the world running out of your corner. You can’t settle for less. Sometimes, with time running out, you need a quarterback to go get the ball in the endzone, or a linebacker to level the other guy. Sometimes you need the clutch player to step up and hit an upper deck, grand slam homerun.
In a critical moment, with everything on the line, you need the right person for the right job.
Last night, we needed a prosecutor to shoulder our beloved country and make a precise, passionate, detail-oriented, pitch-perfect case for it, and for us. That was Harris last night, delivering.
A leader showed up, named Harris.
Shortly before the start of the debate, I was talking to a Vietnam veteran who marveled sadly at the country’s lack of overall attentiveness to the perils of our division and the depth of those expressed hatreds that threaten this mighty and precious experiment of the Enlightenment called America.
“Can it really come to this?” the veteran asked.
As it would turn out, Harris paid attention. Harris knew what this meant. She proved more than fit for the demands of this democratic republic. She understood the stakes, the play, the price, the intensity and meaning of everything backed up under those lights in the National Constitution Center last night. She was ready. She taught. She preached. She commanded. In the end she prosecuted. She made the case for America. We are not a nation of barbarians, but a nation of laws. We require sophistication; savvy; savoir faire; urbanity; country; piety; toughness, humor, respect, hard won, hard-nosed; a depth of realization about the capacities of the men and women of our great civilization; and Harris showed all of that, while never losing the core argument: commitment to justice under the rule of law.
John Dos Passos once wrote, “U.S.A. is a group of holding companies, some aggregations of trade unions, a set of laws bound in calf, a radio network, a chain of moving picture theatres, a column of stockquotations rubbed out and written in by a Western Union boy on a blackboard, a public-library full of old newspapers and dogeared history books with protests scrawled on the margins in pencil. U.S.A. is the world’s greatest river valley fringed with mountains and hills. U.S.A. is a set of bigmouthed officials with too many bank accounts. U.S.A. is a lot of men buried in their uniforms in Arlington Cemetery. U.S.A. is the letters at the end of an address when you are away from home. But mostly U.S.A. is the speech of the people.”
All true, and on that last point in particular, the speech of the people in Philadelphia on Sept. 10, 2024, proved profound, not weak, righteous, not diminished, goodwilled not riven by hate, marked by a strong tough intellect, a command of facts not fictions, and the trained, experienced prosecutorial rigor of one graced to singly shoulder – with time ticking down – the case for justice for the people, and by the people.
E pluribus unum.
A leader showed up. Her name is Harris.
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Kamala Harris, the first female, first Black, and first South Asian Vice President of the United States, has quickly emerged as a leader in politics. Her historic election alongside President Joe Biden in 2020 marked a significant milestone in American history, and Harris has wasted no time in making her mark on the political landscape.
Harris’s political career began in California, where she served as the District Attorney of San Francisco and later as the Attorney General of California. During her time in these roles, Harris gained a reputation for being tough on crime while also advocating for criminal justice reform. She was known for her progressive policies, such as implementing body cameras for police officers and creating a program to help first-time offenders find jobs instead of going to jail.
In 2016, Harris was elected to the United States Senate, where she continued to champion issues such as healthcare, immigration reform, and women’s rights. She quickly became a rising star within the Democratic Party, earning a spot on the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Intelligence Committee.
During her time in the Senate, Harris gained national attention for her tough questioning of Trump administration officials, including then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Her sharp wit and incisive questioning style earned her a reputation as a formidable opponent in political debates.
In 2020, Harris announced her candidacy for President of the United States, becoming the first Black woman to run for the nation’s highest office on a major party ticket. Although she ultimately ended her presidential campaign and endorsed Joe Biden, Harris’s candidacy inspired millions of Americans and solidified her status as a trailblazer in American politics.
As Vice President, Harris has continued to make history by breaking barriers and advocating for progressive policies. She has taken on a leading role in the Biden administration’s efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, address racial inequality, and promote economic recovery. Harris has also been a vocal advocate for voting rights, LGBTQ rights, and climate change action.
In addition to her policy work, Harris has also become a cultural icon, inspiring young girls and women of color to pursue careers in politics and leadership. Her historic election has shattered glass ceilings and opened doors for future generations of leaders.
Overall, Kamala Harris’s emergence as a leader in politics represents a significant moment in American history. Her dedication to public service, commitment to progressive values, and trailblazing achievements have solidified her place as a prominent figure in American politics for years to come.
