Who is Kamala Harris and can she defeat Trump?

Kamala Harris could become the new US president. Joe Biden refused to participate in the election race, and now Vice President Kamala Harris is highly likely to become the Democratic candidate. If she wins, she will be the first female president of the United States who is not white, but of mixed African-Jamaican descent.

Let's figure out what Harris's chances are against Trump, discuss possible candidates from the Democratic Party, try to understand why Barack Obama did not directly support Harris, and what to expect from Kamala Harris's possible presidency.

Biden nominated his Vice President Kamala Harris as his Democratic candidate. This decision at first glance seems logical, given her participation in the primaries and the presence of a significant election fund. However, this is only a possibility, and delegates to the Democratic National Convention may decide differently. For Democrats, achieving unity is critical now. It is important that the party can effectively counter Donald Trump, who retains significant support among Republicans.

Kamala Harris has a good chance against Trump. According to recent polls, Harris' national approval rating is 46% to Trump's 48%. By comparison, Biden had 44% to Trump's 47%. In swing states, where voters' opinions matter most, Harris' ratings are also higher than Biden's. For example, in Pennsylvania she is behind Trump by 1%, and in Virginia she is ahead of him by 5%. These numbers could still change, because Harris has a busy and tight election campaign ahead.

Harris gained access to Joe Biden's campaign fund, which is about $100 million, and Biden campaign employees have transferred to her campaign. Her main trump cards over Trump are her youth (59 years versus 78), extensive experience in legal and political positions, as well as gender and racial characteristics.

But it’s worth considering that not all Democrats unanimously supported Harris. Barack Obama supported Biden's decision to withdraw his candidacy, but at the same time expressed hope that the candidate would be democratically elected. The party is scheduled to nominate its candidate at its convention scheduled for Aug. 19 in Chicago. It is possible that Democrats will hold online voting.

Some Democrats say it would be helpful for Harris to go through the election process to dispel rumors that she is unprepared for the presidency and counter accusations of behind-the-scenes decisions. Possible alternative candidates include former first lady Michelle Obama, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly and others.

A Harris presidency could become a symbol of the gender and racial equality that Democrats have consistently championed. In the United States, about 40% of the population identifies with various non-white ethnic groups, giving Harris a significant support base. To expand that base, experts say Harris could choose a white man as her vice presidential candidate. Potential candidates for the role include Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, among others.

In a 2000 episode of The Simpsons, Lisa Simpson becomes the first female president of the United States. However, she is wearing a purple suit and a pearl necklace, which is surprisingly similar to Kamala Harris' outfit for Joe Biden's 2021 inauguration. We've already written about how this animated series predicted many real events, including the Trump presidency, which seemed simply absurd in 2000.

Kamala Harris was born in California. Her parents met at Berkeley University, one of the most liberal in America. Harris's father was an economist from Jamaica, and her mother was a biological scientist from India, which explains her Indian name Kamala. As a child, Harris grew up with her mother and lived for a time in Montreal, Canada. She held her first political action there, protesting against the ban on children playing on the lawn.

Harris attended Howard University in Washington, D.C., studying political science and economics before returning to California for her law degree. She became a district attorney in 2003 and won election as California State's Attorney in 2010.

Kamala Harris was the Attorney General of California and a Senator from California. She became known to the general public after asking Jeff Sessions about Russian interference in the elections. She actively fought racism and sexism, advocated for women's rights to abortion, as well as LGBT rights.

Harris actively supports Ukraine and condemns the actions of the Russian Federation. She believes that Russian troops are committing war crimes in Ukraine and calls for international accountability for these actions. Harris supports the Biden administration's policies aimed at strengthening NATO and preserving the integrity of the alliance, which stands in stark contrast to the position of Donald Trump, who questioned the usefulness of NATO.

Kamala Harris also supports the Russian opposition. She met with Yulia Navalnaya after the poisoning of Alexei Navalny, demonstrating her solidarity with Russian oppositionists. Moreover, she wrote a short article for Time magazine about Yulia Navalnaya.

When news appeared about the possible presidency of Kamala Harris, the Russian media and television began to actively spread disinformation and insults against her. She is called a “monkey with a grenade” and is compared to an unpredictable and dangerous element in politics. Some argue that Biden didn't even know he was withdrawing his candidacy and that the text of his statement was written by someone else. Propaganda focuses on her race and gender in an attempt to discredit her as a serious political figure.

Kamala Harris is known for her infectious laugh, which has become a real political meme. Her laughter is often discussed in the media and among the public, and sometimes Harris is even criticized for laughing too much. Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that her laughter is a sign of insanity, but many believe that it, on the contrary, indicates her mental health.

Kamala Harris, as the Vice President of the United States and a potential presidential candidate, has become the subject of many memes that are actively spreading on the Internet. These memes range from ironic comments to overtly satirical images and videos. One of the most popular memes about Harris was “Fell Out of a Coconut Tree.” This meme originated from something she said at a press conference where she told a joke to her mother: “You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?” This phraseology quickly spread across social networks and became the object of many jokes and paraphrases.

When rumors began to circulate about the possible replacement of Joe Biden with Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race, it sparked a new surge of memes. One such meme was called "Coconut Republic," in which social media users joked that her presidency would resemble an absurdist republic.

Following Joe Biden's withdrawal from the campaign, the future of the election has become extremely uncertain. Although Biden has proposed Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee, there is no guarantee that she will receive the official support of all convention delegates. There have already been cases in history when in such situations the party chose another candidate. Now, with no clear rules for delegates, Democrats could face unexpected turns.