Having reportedly acquired enough delegate support to secure the Democratic nomination before the August 19 Democratic National Convention, Representative Danny Davis (D-7th) said the Kamala Harris train “is on a roll, going forward, not backward,” with supporters such as former U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun and activist Rabbi Simon Gordon jumping aboard.
The political landscape of America changed dramatically in a matter of days when President Joe Biden announced he was stepping down on Sunday, July 21, after more than 40 Congressmen called on him to step aside because of his poor presentation in the debate against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
In announcing his decision to withdraw, Biden said in a statement, “I believe it is in the best interest of my Party and the country, for me to stand down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”
Of Harris as a presidential candidate he said, “I wouldn’t have picked her as my vice president if I didn’t think she would make a good president.”
Biden then endorsed Harris, who, if elected, will be the first African American female and first Asian American to become president. The endorsement ignited a firestorm of support for his vice president, who in two days reportedly raised more than $100 million and has, according to the Associated Press (AP), racked up 2,014 delegates, well beyond the 1,976 delegates needed to become the presumptive Democratic nominee.
Biden’s endorsement of Harris has thrown a monkey wrench into Trump’s seemingly united campaign. Trump’s remarks about Harris, who is fast becoming the frontrunner in the race for the White House, sparked a social media backlash.
Trump’s vice president candidate, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, blasted Harris, claiming she is one of “a bunch of women who are miserable at their own lives” because she didn’t have children of her own and because of that she “doesn’t have a stake” in politics. He also welcomed disgruntled Democrats to “come on in, the water is warm.”
But Harris, a former district attorney, attorney general and a cross examiner in Senate hearings, said she knows how to deal with felons and that her campaign will be one of prosecutor vs felon, referring to Trump being a convicted felon.
While the Harris for president train is swiftly rolling, she reportedly has requested information on seven potential vice presidents, according to several news outlets.
She is seeking to vet Arizona Senator Mark Kelly; Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro; Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear; Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer; Illinois Governor JB Pritzker; California Governor Gavin Newsom; Maryland Governor Wes Moore; North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper; Minnesota Governor Tim Walz; and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Reached in Washington, D.C., Representative Davis told the Chicago Crusader, “Kamala Harris is on a roll. Unprecedented levels of support are being reported in terms of people wanting to volunteer, money being generated, and more than $100 million in just two days. She already has enough to be selected in terms of delegate support. She’s up and running. People have not seen anything like this since Barack Obama announced his candidacy for president.
“I think this is an opportunity to get on board this train that is going to freedom, to democracy, to Democratic principles.”
Excited about the Harris candidacy, Davis said. “Now, we got to get out and do the work to elect her. The stage is set for a showdown between going forward or backward. The stage is set for protecting the gains we have made in human rights, civil rights, equal opportunities, decent education, and health care.
“The showdown is between all of these positive trends and the desires of Donald Trump and his Trumpeters to play a different tune, to go back to discrimination, to voter suppression, to low wages, to unequal treatment, go back to an era that we hoped to never see again. The showdown is between the past and the future.”
On Tuesday, July 23, former Senator Braun confirmed she endorsed Harris.
“Biden chose Kamala Harris; I know her to be competent and qualified to do this. I am really happy to be in her corner.”
Braun, the first African American woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate, said, Harris “is imminently qualified….I would tell women. This is not a pipe dream.”
In an interview with the Chicago Crusader, Rabbi Gordon, who heads Congregation Sukkat Shalom, said, “I absolutely, completely endorse Harris. I think she is an incredible leader. She has the background….”
Gordon added, “She does a wonderful job as vice president, and I think her leadership on women’s reproductive rights is vital. I think the contrast between her and former President Trump is just enormous in terms of her abilities, her ethics and her leadership.”
When asked since Harris is married to Attorney Doug Emhoff, who is Jewish, how that would affect her campaign given the war in the Middle East, Gordon said, “I think she has demonstrated great ethics from both sides. I think she understands the pain that Israel and Israelis went through on October 7, but at the same time, she has great empathy for the suffering of innocent civilians in Gaza.”
Posting on his Facebook page, social activist and pastor Father Michael Pfleger said, “Thank you President Biden for doing what you believe is best for the country and thank you for endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris. Go Kamala. Let’s make history.”
