Monday, January 21, 2019

As of Now Kamala Harris Is Trump's Biggest Challenger in 2020

During an interview on Good Morning America, California Senator Kamala Harris formally entered the 2020 presidential race and will seek the Democratic Party's nomination for the White House. Her announcement coincided with Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Prior to her election to the Senate in 2016, Harris had been twice elected as California's Attorney General and had previously been the DA in San Francisco.

In a Democratic Party which has sharply veered to the left, Harris stands out as something of a centrist particularly where it concerns Israel. Unlike other Democrats, Harris has not been critical of Israel and made a point of meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in November 2017. As such I am open to supporting her in her bid for her party's nomination and in supporting her in November 2020 should she be nominated.

Among the current field of declared Democrats, I think Harris would prove to be the toughest challenge for President Trump. Like it or not, we are in an era of identity politics. If Alabama's Doug Jones could mobilize a record number of African-American female voters against Roy Moore in the Alabama special Senate election in December 2017 just imagine the impact of Harris' biracial identity and gender could have with the same bloc of voters nationwide. Given Trump's propensity for racially charged comments it is not difficult to see a scenario in which he uses racist language against Harris and thereby helps her cause. Trump might be wise to tread lightly around her.

Harris' entry into the race puts the current Democratic field at five. Other Democratic presidential hopefuls include Hawaiian Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, former HUD Secretary Julian Castro, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and former Maryland Congressman John Delaney. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren has an exploratory committee, but has not formally made a decision about running. The same cannot be said for Kamala Harris.


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