Dominique Simonet. “Kamala Harris had good days ahead of her, but it’s clear she didn’t force herself.”

A purple silhouette stands out from the stands in Washington on January 20, 2021. Her name is Kamala Harris. Joe Biden’s candidate, the fierce senator from California, becomes the new vice president of the United States at the age of 56. A historic date as she was then the first woman to hold this position. As she takes the oath before Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, her husband Douglas Emhoff holding a Bible, everyone remembers this anecdote the principal told a few months ago. “My mother used to tell me: “Kamala, you can be the first to achieve many things, make sure you are not the last.” Two years have passed since then, and with them, the face of Kamala Harris has almost fallen into disrepair. Insights with journalist Dominique Simonnet, a specialist in American politics.

In the video, Kamala Harris is sworn in and becomes the Vice President of the United States

Madame Figaro .- Two years ago, it was expected that Kamala Harris would steal the show from Joe Biden, but this is not the case. Suddenly, he disappeared from radar screens. We don’t see him, we hear less, see less, talk about him…
Dominique Simonet. True, it is unexpected. We expected her to be more present on the national and international stage, especially because before she was vice president, Kamala Harris had a saintly persona. She gave the image of a determined and charismatic woman. He campaigned after being a highly regarded, effective and active prosecutor in California. He was a dynamic senator after that, so everything pointed to a bright future ahead of him. Alas, clearly no, Kamala Harris did not win. We even get the impression that he keeps a low profile, prefers to remain in Joe Biden’s shadow. This attitude is not without consequence. it is not popular. According to the American opinion, he has about 40% positive opinion, less than the active president (about 50%). Despite everything, Kamala Harris still marked the history of American politics by becoming the first woman to serve as Vice President of the United States, the first mixed race as well. It remains unique.

Kamala Harris surprises with her scary side. Something must have gone wrong

Dominique Simonnet

So many symbols and expectations that no doubt served him…
It is certain that we undoubtedly expect much more from the first female vice president, who is even more of a mixed race woman than a traditional vice president. Expectations were very high, which probably explains this disappointment.

Isn’t that a little surprising, especially from the woman we like to call “The Obama Girl?”
Yes, especially since everything was done to give it an exclusive aura. Kamala Harris was followed a lot and all the media tended to talk about her because she was the first woman to hold the position of Vice President of the United States. So it’s true that she surprises with her scary side. Something must have gone wrong.

And what exactly didn’t work out? How to explain this absence, even disappearance, of the media?
Several things are related. First, it’s not easy to win against Joe Biden. Contrary to what he might suggest, and despite his 80 years, he is an old political wolf. An outstanding politician, the likes of which we rarely see. He devoted his whole life to politics, experienced personal dramas… So majority, Coping with this type of personality is no easy task for Kamala Harris. Secondly, the function of the vice president is a rather thankless “job”. His main role is to take over from the president when a problem arises and oversee certain issues. In the case of Kamala Harris, Joe Biden entrusted her with very delicate and difficult tasks, such as immigration, measures to stem the flow of illegal immigrants at the Mexican border. However, as of now, the results are not very convincing, and it has somewhat tarnished the image of Kamala Harris. Finally, you should also know that the latter became vice president at the very moment when the Senate found itself in a perfect balance of 50 Republicans and 50 Democrats. In this case, the voice of the vice president prevails in the USA. This explains the absence of Kamala Harris in the media, who was very busy solving issues in the Senate during the first two years of her mandate. But recently, that’s no longer the case, as Democrats now hold the primary seat.

Ironically, it was Kamala Harris who presided over the funeral of Tyr Nichols, this 29-year-old black man who was killed by five police officers. Is this a comeback strategy?
This could really be the start of his flight. That said, it’s very rare for a president to travel to these types of events, so it was important, and definitely symbolic, for the vice president to go there. Especially since as a mestizo, it is more easily associated with the black community. So that was a strong signal.

On this occasion he also recited marked political discourse , in which he had a word for all the mothers of the world. Is this theme of motherhood recurring with Kamala Harris?
Kamala Harris was great in her role at Tire Nichols’ funeral. His presence in the position of vice president showed that this crime committed by the police was considered an unbearable national tragedy. His sympathy for the victim’s mother, whom he held in his arms for a long time, was sincere. It was also the mother (even if she had no children of her own, she raised her husband’s children) who spoke to the mother. This feminine approach is important in a country where old demons of violence are still haunted. Far from the cynicism and coldness that some politicians can show, the mother is better able to remember that every citizen is a being of flesh and blood who has a history, family, feelings, suffering… In the US, how? In other democracies, where the gap between citizens and their representatives is often lamentable, compassion and honesty should be cited as important values ​​in politics.

During Joe Biden’s campaign, Kamala Harris expressed herself a lot through fashion. We saw it chat on your feet in white suit then A purple coat … Details that ultimately didn’t happen. Is it a communication tool he continued to use as vice president?
As vice president, a role that requires his presence at many official engagements, he has adopted a more austere outfit. Because male politicians tend to take center stage, color is often a way for female politicians to stand out and give off a less somber air. So far, Kamala Harris tends to pale behind Joe Biden, and a little more color wouldn’t hurt her, quite the contrary.

At this point, can we reasonably believe that she will take over from Joe Biden in 2024 and that, if elected, she will become the first female president of the United States?
We obviously have questions about his future. At the stage where we are. or Joe Biden is seeking a second term, in which case Kamala Harris would naturally be his running mate; or Joe Biden will not run, and he will become the legitimate candidate of the Democrats. In both cases, serious doubts emanate from the party, particularly Elizabeth Warren, who is concerned about her mixed popularity. But with two years to go, Kamala Harris can still surprise us. The next few months will be crucial. He can still do well on sensitive issues: immigration, police brutality, minority voting rights… He needs to connect closely with the concerns of Americans. It is not won but playable.

Does she suffer, or has she suffered as a woman, from a certain lack of interest or sexism on the part of American citizens?
It’s hard to gauge how reluctant Americans would be to put a woman in the White House for the first time. But I don’t think that’s decisive, especially for a Democratic electorate that’s more open to diversity and equal rights between women and men. The fact that Kamala Harris is the first female vice president does not cause much trouble. The fact that she is a woman was even an advantage in Joe Biden’s election. Many democracies around the world have female leaders or prime ministers. What hinders him more is his lack of political presence.

In the video, “We did it Joe,” Kamala Harris exclaims at the announcement of Joe Biden’s victory in the US presidential election.