News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Mon. July 22, 2024. As an independent voter who is also an immigrant from the Caribbean, the region of birth of Kamala Harris’ father, Professor Donald Harris, I want to feel thrilled at the possibility that the US can have its first President with Caribbean roots. This even though Harris herself hardly recognizes her own roots to the Caribbean. Her White house bio simply states she is the “first woman, the first Black American, and the first South Asian American to be elected to” the position of vice president and her approval ratings, according to polls, are low.
In 2021, I led a Caribbean collective celebrating Kamala Harris as the first Caribbean American Vice President, a fact often overlooked by mainstream media. Our aim was to highlight her Caribbean heritage and its importance to our community. Harris barely sent a message – this after I threatened the campaign at the time – to say publicly that she was ignoring us and her roots. There was a single line in the speech in which she acknowledged her roots in the Caribbean. There was no mention of Jamaica or her father. Many in the Caribbean community felt spurned, especially since she missed no opportunity to speak of her South Asian roots.
Despite that, I want to feel ecstatic that finally, there can be someone who can put an end to the xenophobic, King Liar on the right once and for all. I want to feel enthusiasm as a woman, as a person of color, as an immigrant. I want to feel thrilled at Harris possibly being the Shirley Chisholm of our time.
But sadly I do not; mainly because I do not feel that Vice President Harris can beat Donald Trump. A CBS News/YouGov poll conducted between July 16-18 put Trump ahead of Harris by 3 points, 51 percent to 48 percent. Based on an average of 26 national polls from the past month, Kamala Harris was behind Trump by 4.5 points nationally. In contrast, Biden faced a smaller deficit of 3 points in the same polls. Kamala Harris’ job approval rating is roughly equal that of Biden, with about 38.5 percent approval, according to FiveThirtyEight averages for July 17-18.
I think deep down, President Joe Biden felt like I do looking at the tea leaves of current US politics – that Harris cannot beat Trump despite all the black votes in the country. It’s the reason why he tried to hold on as long as he could, despite his obvious frailty. It’s the reason why he kept insisting that he alone can beat Trump; and it’s the reason why he reportedly kept asking how Harris is polling against Trump and his MAGAites.
There’s a reason why Harris flopped out of the Primary run for President in 2020. And, there’s a reason why she has been largely Missing in Action since becoming veep. There’s a reason why many Democrats have stayed silent for so long on Biden’s obvious degeneration.
It’s mainly because many know deep down that she cannot beat Trump and is a poor replacement for Biden. There is a deeper issue that many on the left are refusing to face. It is Beyond Harris’ lack of experience, her failures as immigration czar, her inability to win a Primary election in the past and connect with voters,
It’s the real reason why there was so much hate directed at Barack Obama, the US’ first Black President. It is the reason for the rise of then Tea Party and the rise of Trump and his MAGAites.
It is simple – America is still inherently a racist and sexist place; and in 2024, it’s more so than ever. Mark my words – America will not elect another black president, much less a black, female president.
Hillary Clinton failed to beat Trump in 2016 because at the end of the day, the country remains a patriarchal society, especially in rural America. It is today, more so than ever and Trump is feeding the beasts of sexism and racism in the many Electoral College states where it matters most.
Democrats should consider a brief primary election where experienced White male governors can compete alongside Harris for the Democratic presidential nomination. This approach may yield the strongest candidate to lead the party forward. People like Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker would be a great choice. Anointing Harris, whose approval ratings are low compared to Trump, will be a mega mistake. Even if she wins a short Democratic primary, I sadly still doubt she will beat Trump and his base of White voters, who are intent on ensuring America never elects another black President in their lifetime.
By Felicia J. Persaud
EDITOR’S NOTE: Felicia J. Persaud is the publisher of NewsAmericasNow.com, a daily news outlet focused on positive news on the Black immigrant communities of the Caribbean and Latin America.
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