Flashback: When Harris cherished her ties with Obama
TORONTO: Twelve years and three US presidential election cycles earlier, this correspondent had met Kamala Harris at the Democratic National Convention in Denver in 2008.
Just like now, there was a buzz around her at the time - she was a young, biracial, half-Black US Senator making her presence felt within and outside the Democratic Party.
Even though the spotlight was largely on Barack Obama at the Invesco Stadium with ecstatic Democrats celebrating the event, there was enough excitement about Harris as well. At that time, some people had even started seeing her as a “future Obama”.
Harris has clearly come a long way - from being a city-level elected official at that time, as San Francisco’s district attorney, to Joe Biden’s running mate at this November’s presidential election.
Back then, Harris was an active supporter of Obama’s presidential campaign. Later, Obama travelled across the country to return the favour, campaigning for her.
Speaking on the bonding she shared with Obama at that time, Harris had told this correspondent in an interview in Denver, “I supported him when he ran for the US Senate. He came to San Francisco for events supporting my candidacy. So, we have a long-standing relationship in that regard.”
The occasion was a reception organised by the Indian-American Leadership Initiative, a platform for promoting progressive Indian-Americans in US politics. Harris was naturally a key participant at that event.
As she and Biden now prepare to take on incumbent President Donald Trump in the race for White House, Harris would be hoping her political moves are as strong as they were back then.