The appointment of Kamala Harris to the office of US vice president was described as a “historic decision”. Since then, the wannabe politician has probably disappeared. Where is this due to?
She is the first female vice president of the USA, and also the first woman of Asian origin, to occupy such a high office. The swearing-in of the 56-year-old woman was described as a “historic development”. Kamala Harris to the office of vice president in January 2021. The White House itself spoke of a “Biden-Harris administration” on social media and placed the vice president’s name next to that of the new “planetary leader”, to underline her special role.
However, within a few months the excitement began to give way to reflection on the powers and abilities of Kamala Harris. Information from Washington speaks of a series of resignations in her staff and of “tiring behaviors” of a vice president who was struggling to guard her powers. CNN reports that Kamala Harris’ “disappointing start” is causing “dysfunctions” or even “despair.” The Hill website notes that the new vice president almost never appears alone in an interview, not even an organized press conference. Can’t she live up to her mission or is she not allowed to live up to it?
“She does what they ask her to do”
Amy Dacey, former head of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) argues that Kamala Harris is doing nothing but what she is being asked to do. As he points out to DW, “it is important for people to understand that the responsibilities of the vice president are defined by the Constitution. Its main responsibility is to replace the president in case he is unable to perform his duties. In addition, the vice president is the head of the Senate, and that is a huge responsibility, especially in a Senate as divided as today’s. After all it is the responsibility of the president to define the portfolio of the vice president, that is why there are differences between the vice presidents, depending on the priorities of the respective president…”
Democrats and Republicans each held 50 seats in the Senate after the 2020 presidential election until November’s “mid-term elections,” when Democrats gained an additional seat, ensuring more wiggle room. On 26 occasions, Kamala Harris’s vote proved decisive in making decisions in Washington. For example last August, when the Senate passed the federal Inflation Reduction Act aimed at fighting inflation and boosting the domestic economy. In addition, Kamala Harris has participated in numerous missions abroad, with the aim of restoring the prestige of American diplomacy, following the policy of “America First”, followed by the previous president Donald Trump. Notable was her speech at the International Security Conference in Munich in January 2022, which recalled Biden’s policy of supporting Ukraine. In November, during a visit to the Philippines, Kamala Harris made it clear that the US would support its traditional ally against China.
“The president of the United States is always in the spotlight, after all, he is the leader of the free world,” points out Amy Dacey. “But the vice-president also has a very busy schedule. He does things, which may not find a place in the front line of publicity and the first headlines of news broadcasts, but that does not mean that he does not work every day…”
Popular… outside the US
The strange thing is that, while at the end of 2021 the popularity of Kamala Harris within the borders did not exceed 28% (a percentage 10 points lower than that of President Biden), abroad the vice president of the USA is gaining sympathy. According to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, 55% of respondents in 18 countries around the world express a positive opinion of Kamala Harris. Politicians such as Joe Biden, but also French President Emmanuel Macron or Chancellor Olaf Soltz record similar percentages.
One explanation for the low approval ratings within the border may be that Biden has also given her the “hot potato” of immigration policy. In June 2021, Kamala Harris was in Guatemala and Mexico, to declare that she wants to address “the real causes of immigration”, but also to discourage migrants from Central America from attempting the dangerous journey to the US through Mexico. “Don’t come,” she said bluntly at a joint press conference with the president of Guatemala, prompting Democratic officials to express their “disappointment,” while Republicans criticized her for not “daring” to visit the U.S. border. with Mexico.
Faced with stereotypes?
Kelly Dittmar, an assistant professor at Rutgers University’s Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), doesn’t accept that Kamala Harris lacks talent and argues that, as men continue to dominate American politics, Harris as a woman is called upon to prove her worth her in a more emphatic way than a man in a corresponding case. He even recalls that in 2005 Harris had attempted to claim the Democratic nomination for the White House, with Joe Biden as his opponent, but very quickly she was forced to withdraw her candidacy, realizing that she would not be able to secure the necessary funding.
“A lot of women who have made it this far in their careers feel like they have to prove their worth in a way that no one would demand of a man,” Kelly Dittmar tells DW. “That they will have to fight against gender stereotypes, against reservations about their ability to be elected, and apparently Kamala Harris herself has faced this challenge and suffered from voter recruitment, that she is not yet ready, he does not have the necessary qualifications, he could not claim the office of president…”
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
