Kamala Harris rounded off the Democrats’ national meeting early Friday morning Norwegian time by formally accepting the nomination to become the party’s presidential candidate. In his speech, Harris celebrated the American dream and emphasized the privilege of being an American. My space was devoted to my parents’ immigrant background and work as a prosecutor and state attorney in California. Harris’ tried to do two things in the speech, says US expert Sofie Høgestøl, associate professor at the University of Oslo: – The first was to tell her story about who she is to a wider American audience who may not know her that well yet. – The second was to set out a number of concrete political proposals. A champion for the middle class, Harris has, among other things, been criticized for not having a clear policy. During the speech, she spoke about, among other things, the right to abortion and women’s right to decide on their own reproductive health. That the US will support NATO and Ukraine and cooperate with allies against dictatorships such as Iran and North Korea. That she wants to work for the American middle class, a class she is keen to emphasize that she belongs to. Among other things, she is critical of tax breaks for the richest, which she calls a “Trump tax”. Full house at the Democrats’ national meeting. The cheers were loud when Kamala Harris was on stage on the last day of the national meeting. Photo: ROBYN BECK / AFP Before the 2016 election, Trump criticized the Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton for representing the political elite. Joe Biden, for his part, has been a top politician for half a century. Unlike Biden and Clinton, Harris and the vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz are relative newcomers to the political landscape, Sofie Høgestøl believes: – They can tell a new story. To the wider American public, they are new people. USA expert Sofie Høgestøl is associate professor at the Department of Public Law at UiO. Photo: Johanna Hauge / news However, many Americans have great confidence in Donald Trump when it comes to the economy, says Høgestøl. She thinks that could be a challenge for Harris. Gaza problem The Democrats are trying to appeal to people in the center of the political spectrum, believes Are Tågvold Flaten, editor of the Amerikanspolitikk.no website. – Kamala Harris and the Democrats are trying to embrace her a little more broadly and present her as a more moderate candidate than what the Republicans refer to her as, says Flaten and continues: – She talks about realism, common sense, that the military should be strong and the deadliest force in the world . It was off the left side. They will promote her as a future president who is not afraid to defend American values. Another problem for Harris, however, is Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Harris emphasized support for Israel, but also the importance of establishing a ceasefire and the Palestinians’ right to self-determination. She is in a difficult “twin” when she has to try to court both sides in such a polarizing conflict, Sofie Høgestøl believes. US expert Eirik Løkke, adviser at the Civita think tank, also singled out the Gaza war as something that divides the Democratic Party. Kamala Harris at the Democrats’ national convention on Friday night. Photo: Gabrielle Lurie / AP But he believes that the national meeting has been a great victory for the party and for Harris. And he allowed himself to be impressed by the vice-president’s performance: – This was like a shot, he says to news: – It was as successful as it could have been. Greater chance of victory There have been four jubilant and star-studded days at the national meeting in Chicago in the state of Illinois. Almost 4,700 Democratic delegates have been present. This was Kamala Harris’s first major test since becoming the vice-presidential candidate. She passed with flying colours, says Løkke. He pays particular attention to the big change in mood in the Democratic Party compared to the time after Joe Biden’s presidential debate against Donald Trump in July: Civita adviser Eirik Løkke does not hide that he was impressed by Harris at the Democrats’ national convention – Photo: Hanna Johre – After the disastrous debate you had a party that was in complete panic, crisis and that really looked dark on the future. – Within one month, since Harris took over, things have turned into a party that is full of energy, enthusiasm and fighting spirit. It culminated completely during this national meeting, he says. He believes the Democrats would have lost the election if Joe Biden was still the presidential candidate. With Harris, they have a chance to win in a consistently even race. – Good American tradition The Harris campaign has already become known for being a breath of optimism into the election campaign. In her speech at the national meeting, she was also keen to draw out hope and positive aspects of the United States. The approach is a contrast from the Trump campaign, Løkke believes. And it can prove effective: – The cynicism and the way that Trump has behaved: People are getting a little bored, says the Civita adviser. – This is in good American tradition. In the tradition of Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama, who were from different parties, but who both appealed to the best in Americans. And that is what Harris does, continues Løkke. There was a packed hall at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. After Harris’ speech, balloons were released from the ceiling. Photo: POOL / AFP Both the Democrats’ and Republicans’ national convention is now over. A hectic election campaign awaits before the election on 5 November. Harris’ next big test will come at the next presidential debate on September 10 in Philadelphia. It will be exciting to see how Harris will do in debates and interviews without a script, Løkke believes. Harris has been criticized for not giving interviews and answering questions from the press. – The national meeting was the last opportunity to present oneself to the United States in one’s own way and to define oneself. She was disciplined enough not to do any interviews or press conferences before that. She has to take that in the future, says Løkke. Published 23.08.2024, at 07.55 Updated 23.08.2024, at 09.52
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Kamala Harris is praised for her speech at the Democrats’ national meeting – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
