US Election: Eight reasons why Kamala Harris can win

The US Election comes to a head on November 5. Here are eight reasons why Vice President and Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris can win.

ABORTION

The Supreme Court’s move to end the right to abortion – by overturning the landmark Roe vs. Wade decision in 2022 – has become one of the most powerful issues for Democrats.

Donald Trump was responsible for appointing the judges that flipped the court, leaving one in three women now living in states with abortion bans. Ms Harris has made that case far more fiercely than Joe Biden, a Catholic for whom reproductive rights was an awkward issue.

JANUARY 6

For many voters, Donald Trump is unfit to be the president again because of his actions on January 6, 2021. Picture: Roberto Schmidt/AFP

This is the first presidential election since the chaos that followed Mr Trump’s defeat in 2020.

He refused to accept the results, spread false claims of voter fraud, and sparked the violent invasion of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, leading to criminal charges against him.

The peaceful transfer of power is part of the foundation of a democracy and, for many voters, Mr Trump is unfit to be the president again because of his actions four years ago.

TRUMP’S UNDISCIPLINED CAMPAIGN

Inflation and illegal immigration have long loomed as the two issues most likely to power Mr Trump to victory. But he has repeatedly wasted high-profile moments in the campaign with unforced errors that have reminded voters of his worst personal qualities.

He falsely accused immigrants of eating cats and dogs, praised a famous golfer’s manhood, and kept talking about January 6 as a “love fest”. This is not a winning strategy.

WOMEN

Reproductive rights have been central to Kamala Harris’ effort to build a sizeable lead among women. Picture: Jason Connolly/AFP

Rarely has the gender divide been so stark in a US election. While Mr Trump chases young men, Ms Harris has built a sizeable lead among women, which is vital because women tend to vote more than men. Reproductive rights have been central to this effort.

Unlike Hillary Clinton, Ms Harris has not actively drawn attention to the historic nature of her candidacy – she would be America’s first female president – but it is also a significant factor.

DEMOCRATIC FIELD OPERATION

In barely three months, Ms Harris has raised an extraordinary $US1bn, giving her a clear financial advantage over Mr Trump to pay for targeted advertising and field campaigns.

The Democrats have an impressive ground game to go door-to-door in the battleground states, while the Republican get-out-the-vote operation has been cut back in favour of the party’s protect-the-vote election integrity effort.

STRONGER BENCH

While Ms Harris has her weaknesses as a candidate, she is backed by a deep bench of Democratic leaders including Barack and Michelle Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and a host of popular state governors who fancy themselves as future presidents.

In Mr Trump’s Republican Party, the standard-bearers of years gone by – including former president George W. Bush and a host of congressional leaders – have all been cast aside.

BROAD COALITION OF SUPPORT

US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris with former US First Lady Michelle Obama. Picture: Brendan Smialowski/AFP

It is a point of pride for Ms Harris that she has brought together leaders from all ends of the political spectrum to back her campaign, ranging from former Republican vice president Dick Cheney and his congresswoman daughter Liz to popular far-left senator Bernie Sanders.

Ms Harris is relying on these Republican surrogates to peel off voters who have previously backed Mr Trump. She also has celebrity support from the likes of Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.

TURN-THE-PAGE FACTOR

One of the curiosities of this campaign is that Ms Harris remains something of an enigma to many voters, even though she has been the Vice President for four years.

She has sought to exploit this by presenting herself as a fresh face who can bring a new generation of leadership. In what had loomed as a race between two elderly men, the 60-year-old bi-racial daughter of immigrants brings a point of difference with her identity.

Originally published as US Election: Eight reasons why Kamala Harris can win