Patrick Canning, president of Democrats Abroad in Luxembourg, wants to believe in the victory of Kamala Harris, a “logical” choice against Trump.
Withdrawal of Biden’s candidacy, arrival of Kamala Harris… The year was particularly complicated for the Democratic camp : how did you experience all these events since Luxembourg?
Patrick Canning: We were all very surprised by the turn of events. During the debate between Trump and Biden, we all said, “Oh no, as much as we love Joe and he’s our guy, clearly he’s not ready.” It was rushed. We felt he wasn’t the best candidate. He was forced, I think.
When the party announced that he was going to be replaced, we did not yet know by whom. But Kamala Harris was a “natural” choice, I must say: she is the vice president, she is second in command. It made sense. But on the other hand, we Democrats abroad immediately said to ourselves that we were going to make our own decision.
We weren’t sure we really wanted to support Kamala. But in the end, that’s what happened. And we think she chose an excellent future vice-president, who reinforced our support: Tim Walz. He does a very good job.
How did you find Kamala Harris’ campaign?
I think she does a very good job. She did an excellent interview against Trump, she really humiliated him. And above all she uses the right terms. Yes, she called Trump a fascist. But she’s right. Even though many people don’t like it, you have to call a spade a spade. That’s what it is. He is a fascist, so we should call him that.
He made it very clear that he would be a dictator once in power. He himself said that he wanted to ensure more presidential authority. For us, it’s clear. The fact that he did not concede power in the last presidential election was also telling.
You can argue that Trump was a good president, but in the end, the only thing he needed to do was concede the election. Claiming it was stolen, without any proof, is a problem. Which shows that this man has no right to be president of the United States.
Are you convinced that Kamala Harris will win this presidential election? The polls are still very close.
I agree with you, they are neck and neck, which is, by the way, very disappointing. But I think Kamala Harris will win. The question I ask myself is: “What will America become if the voters put someone like Trump in power?” “. What does this say about American values? Is this guy a good role model for our children?
I don’t agree with everything the Democrats do. I’m not 100% pro-Kamala, I’m mostly anti-Trump. And I think that has more weight in the balance. This is the best choice, because we will have a chance to debate with the Democratic Party, without destroying our country.
Do you think Americans are ready to vote for a woman? Black?
I think so. They voted for Barack Obama twice already and they were quite happy. There is good precedent. The general feeling of most people, whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat, is that he was a good president.
In my opinion, this is different from what happened with Hillary Clinton. She was Bill Clinton’s wife first and foremost, that’s the only thing people saw. Of course, there will always be misogynists, who hate women…
Kamala Harris’s flaw is that people don’t know her very well. Everyone knows Trump, Barack Obama, Joe Biden… But not Kamala. The party is also doing a very good job of getting it out there, so that Americans can get to know it better. This is the main challenge here.
Trump is criminal, immoral and racist
What do you think will make the difference tomorrow?
It’s about getting people to vote. This is what will make all the difference. Currently, the people who vote, who we see the most, are the Republicans. This must change. This is what we did in Luxembourg: we carried out two campaigns, in the Grand-Rue of the capital, to encourage our fellow citizens to vote remotely. Nearly 30 people we met didn’t know how to do it!
We have therefore increased these actions to allow as many Democrats as possible to register to vote. That’s what will make the difference. You know, Luxembourg has the largest share of democratic voters abroad, ahead of France or Germany.
How would you summarize the past Biden presidency?
I think in terms of economics and politics he does a good job. The only downside is his way of addressing the Middle East. He has not taken a sufficient stand to bring peace to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He lets Israel do what it wants. Many Americans are disappointed with this.
It’s a tricky situation, because Jews are traditionally a strong faction of the Democratic Party. So, we’re walking on eggshells a bit, because we don’t want to lose their support, but on the other hand, we can’t deny that there is not a balanced response to Hamas terrorism, it’s , in a basic way, a genocide here. Many Jews are also angry about all this and do not really condone what is happening. It’s complicated.
How do you experience a moment like this, when you live in Luxembourg?
I am aware that I live in my bubble, here in the Grand Duchy. When I go to the United States, I am struck by seeing so many clothes bearing the image of Trump; I have never seen that in the Grand Duchy. I realized that, no, not everyone supports Democrats, or Kamala Harris. And that really scares me.
If Trump becomes president again, what kind of country will we become? He literally breaks every commandment in the Bible. He is criminal, immoral, racist. Many say that everything was going well during the Trump era: their memory is not as good as mine, because I mostly remember that there was anxiety. It scares me.
I am very happy that I did not renounce my American citizenship. But I will be very disappointed if Trump wins. I console myself a little by telling myself that I am lucky to be also European!
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