What a difference a day – or in this case, a week – makes in a world that has grown smaller because of the internet, social media and a news cycle that never takes a break.
On Sunday, July 21, President Joe Biden announced he would discontinue his bid for a second term in office, describing his decision to withdraw as being in “the best interest” of the Democratic Party and America. He also endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be the nominee.
And less than 24 hours later, Harris was off and running on the campaign trails.
Since becoming the presumptive candidate for the Democratic Party, Harris has shocked Americans, the world and most notably, the man who she will face in the November showdown for the White House – former president and GOP nominee Donald Trump.
But while Trump has chosen to continue along the path of disseminating insults, disingenuous accusations and a fury of statements that one would be hard-pressed to validate, Harris has taken a different route – one which appears to be more substantive in terms of the issues facing Americans, while energizing both her party and voters.
Since her emergence as the likely Democratic nominee last week, Harris has raised a whopping $200 million. In the same seven-day period, she’s made significant inroads with both younger voters and independents, according to the latest polls and particularly amid the slew of activity on social media fueled by those under 40.
In an ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted last week, Harris’ favorability rating was 35%. One week later, that number has risen to 43%. Americans also say they’re more enthusiastic about Harris becoming the Democratic nominee at 48%, compared to 39% who say they are enthusiastic about Trump being the Republican nominee. Perhaps most important are those who have no stated allegiance to or connection with any political party: independent voters. For them, based on the same poll, 49% expressed enthusiasm about Harris as compared to 36% about Trump – a number which has dropped slightly from 40% following the recent attempted assassination on his life.
However, for some, the unuttered or whispered issue with which voters will have to contend is whether their choice for president will be determined by an unspoken caste system that has shaped America for centuries and continues to impact our lives.
As the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson posits in Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent, “the hierarchy of caste is not about feelings or morality. It is about power – which groups have it and which do not.”
She goes on to say that beyond race, class or other factors, a powerful caste system influences people’s lives and behavior and the fate of nations like Nazi Germany, and which continues to include India and America.
Still, with under 100 days remaining until the general election, it really doesn’t matter what the polls, political pundits or spokespersons for the opposing sides say.
As Americans cast their vote in November, they will have to decide if they want to embrace Trump’s call for a return to the past – “the good old days” – or are willing to hitch their star on a yet-to-be-determined but certainly more inclusive future as presented by Harris.
But even more, we will see if Americans have finally shed the shackles of race and gender or if we continue to remain enslaved by such rigid and hierarchical rankings of humanity.