On October 25, Democratic Presidential Nominee Joe Biden sat down for an interview with the popular CBS broadcast 60 Minutes. During the interview, Biden acknowledged that, if elected, he would be the oldest president the nation has ever had (at 78 years old). However, he claimed to have complete faith in the ability of his vice presidential pick, Kamala Harris, to replace him should the worst happens.
“She is really principled. She has had significant experience in the largest state in the union, running [a] justice department only second in size to the United States Justice Department,” said Biden during the interview. “[But] you know, obviously, I hope that never becomes a question.”
Harris is a historical pick, as she is the first woman of color to be nominated for national office by a major political party.
“I do feel as though it is significant that we have a black female nominee on the democratic ballot this year,” said Ajaylah Hicks, the Vice President of WCU’s Black Student Union. “Not only is she breaking barriers by being a Black [woman], Kamala Harris is an educated woman. Did you know this is the first time in 68 years that a black female has taken this journey? Charlotte Bass ran in 1952 on the Progressive Party ticket.”
Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris at the vice presidential debate in early October.
Harris previously ran against Biden to be the Democratic party’s presidential pick, making her a surprising pick on Biden’s behalf (even when considering Biden’s pledge to choose a woman as his vice president.) While Harris is well-known in the political sphere, she is not without controversy.
Most of the controversy surrounds Harris’ time as a prosecutor, district attorney, and attorney general in the state of California. Back in 2014, after the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO, protestors asked that she investigate a number of police shootings in Los Angeles and San Francisco. She did not. Critics have also accused Harris of doing too little in order to fight police brutality and the racial biases in the legal system.
“As far as I’m aware, she has a track record of indicting lots of black males,” said Isaiah Hanna, a student of color at WCU, referring to the “tough on crime” policies in California during the time Harris was acting as attorney general.
Many of Harris’ views, however, have admittedly changed since her days as an attorney general, and not all of her policies were inherently negative. Harris’ most successful program, “Back on Track,” helped former non-violent, non-sexual offenders reintegrate into their communities by assisting them with housing needs, child support services, financial literacy training, and employment.
She has also since claimed to have changed her stance on marijuana. While Harris oversaw more than 1,900 cannabis related convictions in San Francisco, she has now changed her tune. Harris now claims to fully support the legalization of recreational marijuana, which serves as just one example of Harris’ evolving views.
While Harris is far from a perfect candidate, to many it matters less about who she is, and more about who she is not.
“Harris has faced controversy in the past and I could never say she made the right decision, or a decision I would make. I will say this is now her time to redeem herself,” said Hicks. “I believe everyone deserves a second chance and I’d much rather vote Kamala Harris to have another chance than Mike Pence.”
After the debate, many are left somewhat undecided on their feelings concerning Harris. Some are not unwilling to give her the benefit of the doubt.
“I feel like she’s still a very educated woman. She knows what she’s talking about,” said Hanna. “I think she just needs to do a better job of fighting for her people, not just settling. If Joe Biden does win the presidency, I feel like she needs to be impactful as a vice president, and actually work to make some change that actually helps support not just black people but, especially with her being a black woman, raise more black woman rights.”
According to Hicks, there is room for improvement. In the height of the Black Lives Matter movement and during an era of such high racial tensions, she believes there are some things that the Biden-Harris ticket can offer to Black Americans.
“In my opinion Harris and Biden can both provide security for the Black Community. By security I do not mean heighten the amount of police officers in rural communities,” said Hicks. “I want to see that our government will back us. They need to help reform the police departments and either begin the process or move along the process of enforcing laws that support the Black community and other minorities.”
This story was written for the 2020 Elections Coverage class.
