US Democrats: Hope Can Become Magic

No one can say whether or not Kamala Harris will become the first female president, but Joe Biden’s withdrawal has energized things.

To anyone who wants to claim that either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump will win the presidential election on Nov 5., Americans would say “be my guest.” Which could be translated with a skeptical “go ahead if you wish.” After all, one week of jubilation does not a make a winner and an accident-free speech by the selected candidate does not make a president. However, the Kamala frenzy that Democrats cheered themselves into at their party convention in Chicago last week still contains a good message, one that goes beyond the U.S.

As former first lady Michelle Obama put it: “Something, something wonderfully magical is in the air, isn’t it? Yeah. You know, we’re feeling it here in this arena, but it’s spreading all across this country we love. A familiar feeling that’s been buried too deep for far too long. You know what I’m talking about. It’s the contagious power of hope, the anticipation, the energy, the exhilaration of once again being on the cusp of a brighter day.” American emotionalism, of course, but this infectious hope has made its way across the Atlantic with the Harris phenomenon. Since President Joe Biden withdrew his renewed candidacy, after much pleading and begging, and appointed Harris as his successor, all doubt seems to have been forgotten.

The initial relief of Biden’s withdrawal has not given way to disillusionment, but rather to enthusiasm. It seems to have been forgotten that Harris was not the preferred candidate of the entire party, forgotten that the vice president is accused of weaknesses: a lack of political flair, a poor thematic profile and a lack of stage presence. Even the specter of a Trump victory has, for the moment, receded into the background. But why all this?

People want hope, not disaster. There is a large part of society that is waiting for hope right now, and when the stars are aligned, such powerful forces can be released. Until a few weeks ago there didn’t seem to be a way around a second Trump presidency. Various groups have long been working on contingency plans, preparing for what could become of civil society and a progressive America under Trump. But hope is mobilizing. For the moment, Harris has caught up in the electorate’s favor, where Biden was in danger of sinking. Women and young people in particular are turning to Harris, as are Blacks and Latinos.

These are snapshots, the counterargument goes, the trend is flexible, and statistical inaccuracies easily outweigh a lead of 3% or 4%. It is not a contradiction. But hope mobilizes and can change the political reality. As unbelievable as it seems, there is now a chance that the next U.S. president will be a woman. With a candidate that wasn’t the darling of all leading Democrats and not considered to be inspiring, there can now be a reversal; perhaps Harris was simply at the right place at the right time.

A Strong Response from Germany

It isn’t only the U.S. that is still facing fewer bright days. Our society is in danger of being undermined and brutalized from within. The political developments that we are looking at here, first and foremost, do not exactly inspire what one would call hope: the Ukraine war, the inhumane drama in Gaza. The European elections — with more trepidation than confidence — did not go in favor of right-wing forces, and what will almost certainly happen next weekend in the elections in Thuringia and Saxony gives much cause to become hopeless.

Climate change is leading a rather shadowy existence. But it’s also where a large sector of society is waiting for hope right now. So perhaps it’s no surprise that the euphoria surrounding the Harris’ candidacy has generated such a strong response here, in Germany, in Europe. Of course.

But can the progressive part of society derive anything from all of this? Stars align in political and historical circumstances.

Just imagine if Biden had remained the candidate. The Democrats would not have had the strength and courage to persuade him to withdraw. It is a frightening scenario. And it says one thing above all: Holding onto the familiar just because you are afraid that the new could be worse certainly does not bring hope. It takes courage to embrace disruption.