Trump vs Harris, a slambang affair
The landscape of the 2024 United States (US) presidential election has fundamentally been altered with President Joe Biden announcing his withdrawal from the race following a disastrous national debate against former President and Republican stalwart Donald Trump, who has emerged stronger after surviving an assassination attempt.
Rooted in concerns about his age and mental fitness, Biden’s decision has propelled Vice President Kamala Harris to the forefront as the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee, rejuvenating a demoralized electoral base and introducing new dynamics that could reshape the November election in unprecedented ways.
The national debate with Trump underscored fears about Biden’s age and cognitive abilities, leading to mounting pressure from within his party for him to step aside, a move that is only proper for one of a few people who has his fingers on a nuclear trigger.
In a way, the withdrawal has reset the playing field and thrown asunder the Republican’s Trump-Biden playbook. The immediate focus shifts to Harris, who now stands poised to make history as the first female president of the United States, if she gets the party’s and the American people’s nod.
From Biden, who according to his critics is being blessed only by bouts of lucidity (yes, politics, can be cruel), the Democrats have turned the age contest in their favor, with Harris’ relative youth and vigor.
Age matters and, gender, may well count, too, in the end, with Harris as a potential Democratic nominee bringing with her the gender factor, a powerful and emotive element in American politics. Just as Barack Obama’s historic 2008 campaign galvanized voters eager to elect the first Black president, Harris’s campaign could similarly energize voters seeking to shatter another glass ceiling.
The symbolism of Harris’ candidacy, representing both women
“Trump
has always been a survivor and is expected not to cower from a more interesting fight with Harris. But is Harris ready to go toe-totoe with Trump?