WASHINGTON: Characterising her opponent Donald Trump as an “unserious” self-seeker and asserting her patriotic credentials, US vice-president Kamala Harris on Thursday became the first woman of color and of Indian-origin to accept a major party presidential nomination in American history.
In doing so, Harris unapologetically harked back to the journey of her immigrant South Indian mother Shyamala Gopalan, while reassuring voters she would be a president for all Americans, one who would “put country above party and self,” in contrast to a rival she painted as cynical, selfish, and dangerous for the United States.
“On behalf of the people, on behalf of every American, regardless of party, race, gender or the language your grandmother speaks. On behalf of my mother, and everyone who has ever set out on their own unlikely journey… behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on Earth, I accept your nomination to be president of the United States of America,” Harris said in remarks aimed countering vicious attacks on her foreign origin, while drawing a contrast with a rival who has sought to otherize her and demonize her.
The 38-minute address — one of the shortest, especially compared to Trump’s 92-minute peroration at his acceptance– never touched great oratorical heights. But it was delivered with prosecutorial efficiency as she cautioned America about re-electing an incendiary opponent who caused “chaos and calamity” when he was in office and would be even more dangerous in a second term.
“Just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails, and how he would use the immense powers of the presidency of the United States. Not to improve your life, not to strengthen our national security, but to serve the only client he has ever had: himself,” she warned while presenting her self as a prosecutor who has only had one client her entire career: the people.
“In many ways, Donald Trump is an unserious man—but the consequences of putting him back in the White House are extremely serious… This is not only the most important of our lives, it is one of the most important in the life of our nation,” Harris said in a late night speech that rounded off a rousing four day Democratic National Convention that endorsed her candidacy unanimously and energetically.
The principal issue Harris sought to attack her opponent on related to women’s reproductive rights, a lightning rod in a country where women voters outnumber men. She warned that Trump and his allies would limit access to birth control, ban medication abortion, and enact a nationwide abortion ban — all issues that agitate American women on the liberal spectrum.
“And get this… he plans to create a national antiabortion coordinator. And force states to report on women’s miscarriages and abortions. Simply put, they are out of their minds,” Harris said, pledging, if elected president, to sign any bill to restore reproductive freedom that is passed by Congress.
Harris also pushed back at two other issues Republicans have attacked her on: the border crisis and national security. She reminded voters that Trump had killed a bipartisan border bill for cynical electoral reasons and pledged to secure the border in a way that lived up to “our proud heritage as a nation of immigrants”; and she would “never waver in defense of America’s security and ideals.”
Ceaseless attacks on her foreign origin appeared to compel Harris to strongly assert her love for America and its ideals, principles, and promises. She accused her opponents of denigrating America on a daily basis, talking about how terrible everything is.
“Well, my mother had another lesson she used to teach: Never let anyone tell you who you are. You show them who you are,” urging Americans “let us show each other and the world who we are and what we stand for: Freedom, opportunity, compassion, dignity, fairness, and endless possibilities.”
“We are the heirs to the greatest democracy in the history of the world. And on behalf of our children and our grandchildren and all those who sacrificed so dearly for our freedom and liberty, we must be worthy of this moment,” she added, seeking their votes to “write the next great chapter in the most extraordinary story ever told.”
Harris family, including her sister Maya, who introduced her in a brief speech, her nephews and nieces, and her uncle G Balachandran (her mother’s brother), a former journalist with The Hindu, were present to support her, as were her friends and neighbors from the Oakland community she grew up in.
The address was well received by the largely liberal American media, with the expected evisceration from Trump Republicans who found fault in everything she said, including the number of times she said thank you (27) to the ovation she got before she began her speech. In a ten minute call-in after the address to his favorite Fox News before he was cut off, Trump asked why she hadn’t already done all the things she was promising to do considering she was still vice-president.
In doing so, Harris unapologetically harked back to the journey of her immigrant South Indian mother Shyamala Gopalan, while reassuring voters she would be a president for all Americans, one who would “put country above party and self,” in contrast to a rival she painted as cynical, selfish, and dangerous for the United States.
“On behalf of the people, on behalf of every American, regardless of party, race, gender or the language your grandmother speaks. On behalf of my mother, and everyone who has ever set out on their own unlikely journey… behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on Earth, I accept your nomination to be president of the United States of America,” Harris said in remarks aimed countering vicious attacks on her foreign origin, while drawing a contrast with a rival who has sought to otherize her and demonize her.
The 38-minute address — one of the shortest, especially compared to Trump’s 92-minute peroration at his acceptance– never touched great oratorical heights. But it was delivered with prosecutorial efficiency as she cautioned America about re-electing an incendiary opponent who caused “chaos and calamity” when he was in office and would be even more dangerous in a second term.
“Just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails, and how he would use the immense powers of the presidency of the United States. Not to improve your life, not to strengthen our national security, but to serve the only client he has ever had: himself,” she warned while presenting her self as a prosecutor who has only had one client her entire career: the people.
“In many ways, Donald Trump is an unserious man—but the consequences of putting him back in the White House are extremely serious… This is not only the most important of our lives, it is one of the most important in the life of our nation,” Harris said in a late night speech that rounded off a rousing four day Democratic National Convention that endorsed her candidacy unanimously and energetically.
The principal issue Harris sought to attack her opponent on related to women’s reproductive rights, a lightning rod in a country where women voters outnumber men. She warned that Trump and his allies would limit access to birth control, ban medication abortion, and enact a nationwide abortion ban — all issues that agitate American women on the liberal spectrum.
“And get this… he plans to create a national antiabortion coordinator. And force states to report on women’s miscarriages and abortions. Simply put, they are out of their minds,” Harris said, pledging, if elected president, to sign any bill to restore reproductive freedom that is passed by Congress.
Harris also pushed back at two other issues Republicans have attacked her on: the border crisis and national security. She reminded voters that Trump had killed a bipartisan border bill for cynical electoral reasons and pledged to secure the border in a way that lived up to “our proud heritage as a nation of immigrants”; and she would “never waver in defense of America’s security and ideals.”
Ceaseless attacks on her foreign origin appeared to compel Harris to strongly assert her love for America and its ideals, principles, and promises. She accused her opponents of denigrating America on a daily basis, talking about how terrible everything is.
“Well, my mother had another lesson she used to teach: Never let anyone tell you who you are. You show them who you are,” urging Americans “let us show each other and the world who we are and what we stand for: Freedom, opportunity, compassion, dignity, fairness, and endless possibilities.”
“We are the heirs to the greatest democracy in the history of the world. And on behalf of our children and our grandchildren and all those who sacrificed so dearly for our freedom and liberty, we must be worthy of this moment,” she added, seeking their votes to “write the next great chapter in the most extraordinary story ever told.”
Harris family, including her sister Maya, who introduced her in a brief speech, her nephews and nieces, and her uncle G Balachandran (her mother’s brother), a former journalist with The Hindu, were present to support her, as were her friends and neighbors from the Oakland community she grew up in.
The address was well received by the largely liberal American media, with the expected evisceration from Trump Republicans who found fault in everything she said, including the number of times she said thank you (27) to the ovation she got before she began her speech. In a ten minute call-in after the address to his favorite Fox News before he was cut off, Trump asked why she hadn’t already done all the things she was promising to do considering she was still vice-president.