Harris, the Democratic Hope

Published in El heraldo de México
(Mexico) on 22 August 2024
by José Carreño Figueras (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Tom Walker. Edited by Michelle Bisson.
During his administration from 2016 to 2020, Donald Trump did whatever he could to dismantle measures that Barack Obama implemented.

Michelle and Barack Obama used their appearance Tuesday evening at the Democratic National Convention to name an heir. And no, I’m not referring to their daughters, Malia or Sasha, but rather Kamala Harris, U.S. vice president and Democratic presidential candidate by acclamation.

And on top of that, former President Bill Clinton, another popular Democrat, came out on Wednesday night to reinforce Harris’ image, strengthen that of of her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, and fan the flames of what already looks like passionate enthusiasm.

Harris and Walz have made it their mission to beat Donald Trump, the Republican hopeful that the Democrats, and some Republicans, consider to be a threat to the U.S.

It’s no accident. Harris is now the greatest hope to challenge Trump, the billionaire who has emerged as the leader of right-wing extremist movements, thanks to a boost from television and social media. True, Harris is a woman of color, the daughter of immigrants — an Afro-Caribbean father and a mother from India — a feminist from the get-go, and almost 20 years younger than Trump.

But it’s not just political, the experts say. Clinton and the Obamas all have scores to settle with Trump. For Clinton, it’s the boorish and uncivilized way Trump treated his wife, Hillary Clinton, the first woman presidential nominee of a major party. Trump beat her in the Electoral College, but not in the popular vote.

For the Obamas, it was a dozen years ago when Trump, then a businessman, questioned whether Barack Hussein Obama had been born in the United States. Trump had endured a sarcastic public onslaught from Obama at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in 2011.

And then in 2016, there was Trump’s absurd comparison between the size of the crowd attending his inauguration and the crowd at Obama’s 2008 inauguration.

But it is also political. During his administration from 2016 to 2020, Trump did whatever he could to dismantle measures that Obama implemented. These were often in the form of administrative actions, the equivalent of executive orders, because of blockage in Congress by majorities and minorities with little difference between them.

Important issues that Trump weakened or nearly demolished included access to health care; immigration reform and addressing young people like the DREAMERS, whose parents were undocumented but who grew up and were educated in the U.S. but are not U.S. citizens; and environmental protections.

And the Obamas, a couple revered in U.S. liberal and Democratic circles, handed Harris the key. They named her their heir in real terms. Clinton, who is considered one of the country’s most accomplished political leaders, provided the key ring. Harris and Walz will have to do the rest, and win over the majority of American states.


Harris, la esperanza demócrata
Durante su gobierno, de 2016 a 2020, Donald Trump hizo lo que pudo para deshacer medidas adoptadas por Barack Obama

Michelle y Barack Obama aprovecharon su intervención del martes en la noche para nombrar a una heredera. Y no, no se trata de sus hijas Malia o Sasha, sino de Kamala Harris, vicepresidenta de Estados Unidos y candidata presidencial demócrata por aclamación.

Y por si fuera poco, otro popular demócrata, el expresidente Bill Clinton, salió la noche del miércoles a consolidar la imagen de Harris, fortalecer la de su compañero de fórmula, el gobernador Tim Walz, y atizar lo que ya parece un entusiasmo incendiario.

Y la misión de Kamala Harris y Tim Walz es derrotar a Donald Trump, el aspirante republicano que los demócratas, y algunos republicanos, consideran como un peligro para EU.

No es accidente. Kamala Harris se convirtió en la gran esperanza para enfrentar a Donald Trump, el multimillonario transformado a su vez, por obra y gracia de la televisión y las redes sociales, en el líder de movimientos extremistas de derecha. Cierto que es mujer de color, hija de inmigrantes - padre afro-caribeño y madre india – y de entrada, feminista y casi 20 años más joven que él.

Pero no solo hay razones políticas, dicen los enterados. Tanto Bill Clinton como los Obama tienen cuentas qué arreglar con Trump. El primero por la forma poco caballerosa en que Trump se comportó con su esposa Hillary Rodham, la primera mujer candidata presidencial de un partido mayor, a la que derrotó en 2016 en el Colegio Electoral, pero no en el voto popular.

Para los Obama, desde hace una docena de años, cuando el entonces empresario cuestionó que Barack Hussein Obama hubiera nacido en Estados Unidos y luego tuvo que aguantar una sarcástica andanada pública hecha por el mandatario en una cena de Corresponsales de la Casa Blanca.

Y luego, en 2016, la absurda comparación hecha por Trump sobre el tamaño de las multitudes que habían asistido a su propia toma de posesión y la de Obama, en 2008.

Pero también es político. Durante su gobierno, de 2016 a 2020, Trump hizo lo que pudo para deshacer medidas adoptadas por Obama, a menudo en forma de medidas administrativas equivalentes a decretos presidenciales, dado el literal atascamiento del Congreso en mayorías y minorías apenas diferenciadas.

Temas importantes como el acceso a atención médica, como la necesidad de una reforma migratoria y de atender a jóvenes que como los Soñadores, hijos de padres indocumentados que crecieron y se educaron en EU, pero no tienen la ciudadanía estadounidense, o de protección al medio ambiente, fueron debilitados o casi demolidos por Trump.

Y los Obama, una pareja reverenciada en círculos liberales y demócratas estadounidenses, le dieron la llave a Harris. La nombraron su heredera en términos reales. Clinton, considerado uno de los mejores políticos, le proporcionó el llavero. Harris y Walz deben hacer el resto y convencer a la mayoría de los estados.

This post appeared on the front page as a direct link to the original article with the above link .

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