US President Joe Biden officially bowed out of the 2024 US presidential race Sunday, following months of assertions he would not drop out. Biden endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, to take his place as the Democratic Party's nominee.
Former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama endorsed Harris for president Friday, the Washington Post reported, and a “phone call” from the former president and first lady was released in a campaign ad posted to social media. In the ad, the Obamas thorw their support behind Harris who thanked the two for their “friendship”.
Dan Lazare, an independent investigative journalist and author, joined Sputnik’s The Critical Hour program on Friday, suggesting Harris may seem appealing to voters for stepping up to the plate at the last minute. However she faces an uphill battle as Americans continue to overpay for basic needs and blame Bidenomics for their empty wallets, he argued.
“Kamala Harris is in the honeymoon period. So she's glamorous. Everything she does is right. It's just perfect. You know, everyone loves her,” Lazare explained. “And this will last, I don't know, what? A few more days? A few more weeks? Certainly not beyond Labor Day, and that's where the real mud wrestling starts.”
“And she's got her vulnerabilities,” he added. “She gave a nice little talk after meeting with Netanyahu, but unfortunately it didn't make any sense. And she did manage to throw in an attack against Iran, which is completely bonkers. She accused Iran of backing Hamas; well, yes, Iran has backed Hamas. But the implication is that Iran was somehow behind October 7th and there is absolutely no evidence in support of that. In fact, there's a good deal of countervailing evidence against that.”
On July 2, CNN reported that three-quarters of US voters said the Democratic Party would have a better chance of holding onto the White House were Biden to drop out of the race and have someone else on the ticket.
“[Harris] talks out of both sides of her mouth, but then again, Biden does the same thing. He comes up with a few words of concern for the plight of the Palestinians even as he ships more bombs off to Israel. And she is equally two-sided, but joining in on this attack against Iran is really dangerous because Israel wants to drag America to a war with Iran, but Iran is not part of this conflict,” Lazare emphasized.
Should Harris secure her seat in the Oval Office, it is expected that she will follow Biden’s foreign policies, the German news agency Deutsche Welle reported. "Harris's policy appears to pursue a conflicted de-escalation with Iran by trying to reach, if not a new nuclear deal, at least a new agreement or understanding that would pause Iran's nuclear weapon development," said Arman Mahmoudian, a lecturer and international affairs analyst at the University of South Florida.
However, Harris will also be interested in influencing a new generation of “human rights-oriented policies toward Iran, specifically improving women’s rights,” said Mahmoudian.
Harris has consistently defended the nuclear agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was achieved during Obama’s presidency, the report said. Trump’s policy of “maximum pressure” on Iran resulted in him pulling out of the deal because he thought he could negotiate a “better deal” than his predecessor.
“Iran does not want a war. It doesn't want a wider war. In fact, the new president, who's just been elected, clearly wants to avoid that at just about any possible cost,” said Lazare.
“It's really outrageous. I mean, I expect nothing from Harris on the war. I think she'll have a few kind words to say. She'll throw out a few cliches about the importance of sparing civilian casualties. In the end, she will satisfy Israel's every need for war. She will back it to the hilt until Netanyahu decides this operation is over. So, I expect her to respond exactly the same way as Biden has responded.”
On Tuesday, Harris visited the key battleground state of Wisconsin and quickly went on the offensive. "I know Donald Trump's type," Harris said, recounting her days as a prosecutor who pursued fraud cases, according to The New York Times.
The Vice President touted the prospect of representation for younger generations of Americans as well as her promise to protect access to abortion. Age has often been considered a weakness for both Trump, 78 and Biden, 81. Harris is 59 years old, six years younger than the average US retirement age of 65.
“She will appeal to the hardcore Democrats and she will appeal much less to those wavering in between, and that is the crucial population. She has Bidenomics to worry about. How the hell can she get out from under that albatross? I mean, the economy has hurt all working people of all colors,” Lazare said.
“Inflation is a killer. Housing costs, automobile costs, insurance costs have been devastating. Every single voter out there has suffered the consequences and the poorer you are, the more you have suffered. So, yeah, the educated elite will go for Harris, but the ones who have taken it on the chin, I think, will respond very differently.”
28 December 2023, 02:43 GMT