After the DNC, the contrast between Harris and Trump couldn’t be any clearer | Editorial

The prosecutor made her case on behalf of the people.

In clear, confident, and compelling terms, Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination Thursday and explained why she is ready to be the next commander in chief of the United States.

Harris made a muscular appeal to independents and middle America that mapped out a vision for a strong and united country where everyone has an opportunity to succeed.

She called for “a new way forward” past the “bitterness, cynicism, and divisive battles of the past.” She underscored the need to protect a woman’s right to make her own decisions about her body.

Harris offered policies to help the middle class by reducing the cost of housing and health care. She outlined hawkish views on border security and defense — including confronting Russia, China, and Iran — while voicing strong support for Israel balanced with the need to end the horrific war in Gaza.

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And Harris delivered a forceful takedown of Donald Trump, whom she called “an unserious man.” She pointed to his plans to cut taxes for the rich, cut programs for the most vulnerable, and close the U.S. Department of Education to underscore that the consequences of Trump’s return to the White House are “extremely serious.”

Harris has been described as a “joyful warrior.” But her acceptance speech of the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination was all business.

She avoided the groundbreaking history she is making as the first female, Black and South Asian American vice president who, if elected, would be the first woman in the Oval Office.

Instead, Harris focused on her career in public service, seeking justice for others as a prosecutor, district attorney, attorney general, and senator. She leaned into her late mother’s story of immigrating to America from India at age 19 with the goal of getting an education and discovering a cure for breast cancer.

As a student at Berkeley, her mother met and married Donald Harris, an economist who emigrated from Jamaica, in 1963. They divorced in 1971, and Harris’ mom raised her and her sister in Oakland, Calif.

Harris said her mother, who was “5-foot, brown-skinned, and had an accent,” endured mistreatment, but taught her “to never complain about injustice, but to do something about it.”

The unspoken takeaway is that Harris’ story is America’s story. A daughter of immigrants who arrived looking for a better life and sacrificed so their children could do better than them. They worked hard and overcame challenges.

As is often the case, Harris was guided by a strong mother. A similar theme emerged in the Democratic National Convention speeches by Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama, who both discussed how their mothers shaped their respective trailblazing careers.

Come November, female voters may decide the election. In 2016, many women abandoned Clinton. She narrowly lost to Trump, who went on to appoint three U.S. Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade.

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But in 2020, suburban and Black female voters — including many in the Philadelphia region — powered Trump’s defeat. If Trump’s threat to democracy in 2024 is to be stopped, female voters will have to rise again.

That may explain why Trump claimed this week that suburban women “like him a lot.” Clearly, one woman has Trump panicked. He frantically fired off more than 50 social media posts during Harris’ 38-minute acceptance speech.

Many of Trump’s posts were comically inane and false. Lately, the wannabe strongman sounds more like the little boy who cried wolf.

Trump’s act is tired and old. He is 78, facing multiple indictments, and running to stay out of prison. He calls Harris the same petty names used to describe President Joe Biden, Clinton, and many others, including “radical,” “crazy,” and “stupid.” He makes fun of Harris’ laugh and mispronounces her first name. Trump made a ridiculous claim that she was Indian and somehow “turned” Black.

He keeps throwing slop at the wall, but nothing is sticking. Maybe nine years of Trump’s whining has finally exhausted America. He still has a solid base of MAGA supporters, but polling shows many voters appear ready to move on.

In fact, several Republicans came to the DNC to denounce Trump and endorse Harris.

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R., Ill.) called Trump “a weak man pretending to be strong” and “a faithless man pretending to be righteous.”

Stephanie Grisham, Trump’s former press secretary, told how off camera he “mocks” his supporters and called them “basement dwellers.”

Geoff Duncan, a former lieutenant governor in Georgia, called Trump “a felonious thug.” He said voting for Harris in 2024 didn’t mean you were a Democrat, but rather made you “a patriot.”

Republicans throwing their support behind the Democratic nominee capped a head-spinning turn of events over the past month that saw one presidential nominee drop out and another escape assassination.

On July 21, Biden ended his reelection bid following his shaky debate performance and passed the torch to Harris. Initially, many had doubts about Harris, who, like most vice presidents, did not have much of a chance to shine in her supporting role.

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Harris has met the moment. In a matter of weeks, she united the Democratic Party and changed the dynamic of the presidential race. She picked an unknown but instantly relatable running mate in Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who has added his own positive Midwestern dad energy to the already fun and joyful campaign.

Harris closed the gap in most polls, including key swing states. While the race remains essentially a toss-up, she leads Trump in fundraising and has the momentum with just over two months to go until Election Day.

Harris should get an extra bounce from the jubilant DNC that was a stark contrast from a dark and weird Republican National Convention that featured wrestler Hulk Hogan ripping off his shirt, while Trump supporters sported ridiculous ear bandages in support of their dear leader and T-shirts that proclaimed, “I’m voting for the felon.”

Trump’s 90-minute acceptance speech, the longest in GOP convention history, included no vision for improving the lives of average Americans. Instead, he used the word I 262 times, spewed lies, and compared America to a “third world” country.

It was the same phony fear-mongering and negative nonsense that Trump has long repeated to scare voters. But it doesn’t match the reality of the recent drop in crime, steady job growth, booming stock market, and cooling inflation.

It certainly doesn’t match the upbeat vision Harris has for the nation.

In the end, the RNC and DNC conventions left voters with a clear choice.

Trump is for himself, and Harris is for the people.