Washington/San Francisco. Biographer Dan Morain has followed Kamala Harris since her early days in the California judiciary. His judgment of her is astonishing.
There are few people who have watched Kamala Harris as closely as Dan Morain. The journalist was an editor at the “Los Angeles Times” for 27 years and at the Californian capital newspaper “Sacramento Bee” for eight years. In his biography published four years ago Harris – “Kamala’s Way – An American Life” – he describes the beginnings of the Democratic presidential candidate, who became politically active in California and rose professionally. A conversation shortly before the election:
Mr. Morain, will Kamala Harris win the election on Tuesday?
Dan Morain: I have no idea. The race is too close. Some days I think Kamala Harris will win. Other days I lean toward a Trump win. I just don’t know.
Will the result come quickly?
Many: I don’t think we will know how this election turned out on the evening of November 5th. The vote counting is still ongoing. This may be delayed. Certainly in Pennsylvania, where postal ballot envelopes may only be opened and evaluated on election day. And this state will play a key role.
What does your gut feeling say?
Many: I don’t know it. I believed in 2016 that Hillary Clinton would win, not Donald Trump.
According to polls, the Democratic candidate is having difficulty taking the lead in key states. Do you think Kamala Harris is doing enough to reach undecided voters?
Many: I believe that she and her team ran an almost flawless election campaign. She had to go from 0 to 100 in a very short time. That was a Herculean task. She did it very well. But of course there are problems. She is apparently not well known among the electorate. She clearly has trouble winning over men without college degrees, especially white men. I think she’s doing everything she can. But you can’t force anyone to choose.
Studentin Kamala Harris, 1986 in Washington DC.
© picture alliance / Photoshot | picture alliance / Photoshot
There is a perception that Kamala Harris could continue the policies of the unpopular Joe Biden. When asked what she would have done differently looking back, she said she couldn’t think of anything. Do you think that’s enough?
Many: Kamala Harris is loyal to Joe Biden. She won’t say anything derogatory about him, nor should she. They have obviously become friends over the past four years and have mutual respect for one another. But: When she comes into office, she will have her own team, her own foreign minister, her own attorney general. She will make different decisions than Joe Biden. But people often agree on the big issues.
Did it provide enough insight into how a President Kamala Harris would govern? It was often inaccurate.
Many: I can say that she left out more details than she did when she ran for Senate. She will continue the Biden course on issues such as Ukraine and NATO. She is very clear and explicit when it comes to abortion.
Should it become clearer on the Israel-Gaza issue, considering that many voters in the embattled state of Michigan have Muslim roots and sharply criticize US arms sales to Israel?
Many: She has made it very clear that the US will remain Israel’s most important ally. This fundamental position will not change. If you ask me whether she would speak to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu differently than Biden in private, I say: You bet.
Dan Morain, now a freelance author, has closely followed Kamala Harris’ career in California for many years. © Penguin Random House | Penguin Random House
Should she have been more honest on the illegal immigration issue raised by Donald Trump and acknowledged the Biden administration’s mistakes?
Many: You know, the immigration issue has been around for a long time. I have lived in California almost my entire life. We are a border state that used to be part of Mexico. People have been moving from one side to the other for centuries. And they won’t stop. Kamala Harris is the daughter of immigrants. She understands the problem very well.
Many voters think Harris is too vague.
Many: She is a politician. She wants to keep her options open. That’s why she doesn’t take any specific positions now. I remember when she announced her candidacy for Senate in early 2015. Journalists wanted to know how she felt about NATO. It was difficult to get a statement from her. She hadn’t studied enough about it at the time. Kamala Harris does her homework. She acts thoughtfully. She makes few mistakes when speaking in public. Even during her time as a prosecutor in California, she only took a stand when she had to. During the current election campaign, she hasn’t said anything that would limit her and that she might later regret. I see her as a good politician.
42 years ago, Kamala Harris protested against racism with her friend Gwen Whitfield at Howard University in Washington. On election day, the renowned academic stronghold for African-Americans is their headquarters. © picture alliance/AP Photo | Uncredited
Again, isn’t that too vague?
Many: In general, you know where it stands. She is politically left of center. This is an established mainstream Democrat who is fairly conservative on some issues, such as crime control. When she was justice minister, I once wrote as a columnist that she was too cautious. In the end, as her biographer, I came to the conclusion that that’s exactly what you want in an attorney general – someone who holds back and thinks things through to the end. Certainly also an important quality in the office of president. Donald Trump, on the other hand, seems to be impulsive and not think several steps ahead.
Do you have an example of Kamala Harris deliberating?
Many: In California, as Attorney General, she could have joined a lawsuit against Trump over his failed university project. She didn’t do it. The fish were too small for her.
Since Joe Biden declared his resignation in July until today: Has anything surprised you about Kamala Harris?
Many: She was a good candidate in California. She’s even better today. Your speeches have gotten better. She trusts her abilities. And she reveals things that she would never have said publicly years ago. For example, that she has a Glock pistol and would shoot intruders with it. I didn’t know that. Like the fact that she worked at McDonald’s. This is new.
What else?
Many: I found her comment in a television session to be most insightful. When asked who her first call was to after Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the candidacy in the summer, Harris said: her pastor. “I needed a prayer.” I knew she was a believer. But she never talked about religion before. Never.
If she wins, would we see a different Kamala Harris? More open, clearer, more explicit about your goals?
Many: I do not believe that. She appreciates the role of journalists. But that doesn’t mean she wants to feed the beast all the time. It’s part of their character to keep things to themselves.
Are there any more surprises to be expected from her in the last days before the election?
Many: She will continue to talk about Trump’s unpredictability and about abortion and about the need for as many people as possible to vote. It’s all about voter turnout.
What is your greatest asset?
Many: She believes in the constitution and the rule of law. She doesn’t admire Hitler. She is not a radical. She is very smart and tough. She doesn’t let herself be pushed around. Anyone who underestimates Kamala Harris does so at their own risk. She is formidable.
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