She was still only a supporting role. On the evening of Joe Biden's inauguration, January 20, 2021, Kamala Harris gave a short speech, all smiles. His glossy sentences celebrated American voluntarism and imagination. “We don’t just dream, we act. We see not only what was, but what can be. We aim for the Moon and we plant our flag on it. » Tuesday, November 5, Kamala Harris' electoral moon landing ended in historic disaster.
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She aspired to become the first woman elected president of the United States, avenging Hillary Clinton for her failure in 2016. The vice-president hit the same ultimate glass ceiling, marking a new setback in the arduous but constant progress of the women towards the highest position of responsibility, in a country with infinite capacity for regeneration but deeply fractured. Powerful symbol of diversity, daughter of Jamaican Donald Harris and Indian Shyamala Gopalan, she embodies 21st Americae century. But this century is also that of right-wing populist movements, with authoritarian leanings, launching the assault against the rule of law and institutions, capturing popular resentment and taking advantage of a siled media ecosystem.
Contrary to what her most zealous supporters claimed, Kamala Harris did not arouse massive support for her person, a movement comparable to what Obamamania was. A significant portion of the votes in his favor first demonstrates a rejection of Donald Trump, the same one who benefited Joe Biden in 2020. The latter's withdrawal in July caused immense relief in the Democratic ranks, who saw an inevitable defeat looming. The replacement, aged 60, had all her physical and cognitive integrity, which at least allowed her to fight in good conditions. But Joe Biden's decision was too late to deploy a bold strategy.
Difficulty telling stories
During the campaign, Kamala Harris hardly mentioned her work as vice-president, constantly citing her experience as district attorney of San Francisco (elected in 2003), then as attorney general of California (from 2010). Woman of justice, fighting against criminal networks, drug trafficking and powerful corporations: this story idealized like a Marvel comic book, a 2024 version of Captain America, was more appropriate in the face of Donald Trump, criminally convicted, found responsible for a civil sexual assault, and who expresses his fascination with the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, or his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Good, evil: eternal dramaturgy of American politics. The Democrats thought it would be favorable to them.
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