I think about November 8th, 2016 a surprising amount. I picture the oreos that I munched on intermittently as I weaved in and out of cubicles at the Clinton campaign office, the striped blazer that I donned to accompany my mom to the voting booth, and the navy button that I purchased excitedly in the lobby of the Javits Center.
But most of all, I remember the devastating, all consuming feeling of disappointment as I watched on big projectors, a few feet from the podium where Hillary Clinton was supposed to make her victory speech, as America once again denied a woman a place in higher political power. “Why?” I asked my mom later that night as I felt tears welling up uncontrollably. “Why can’t we ever break the glass ceiling?”
When the 2020 election came around, I had long grown out of my striped blazer and youthful idealism. The navy button, once regarded with pride, sat carelessly among discarded pencils and scraps of paper at the bottom of my desk drawer. I still campaigned tirelessly for Biden, but almost as a means of protection for my nine year old self, never focusing on the fact that a Biden Presidency meant a Harris Vice Presidency, and that his victory would propel the first woman in history into the second highest political office.
But then it was January 20th of the following year, and I found myself watching through my living room T.V. as Biden and Harris were sworn in. The magnitude of it finally hit me. No, the glass ceiling hadn’t been broken, but a significant crack had been cleaved. We were on the right track towards progress and equality.
Today, I am no longer nine, or thirteen, but a sixteen year old high school student who has lived through three years of a Biden-Harris presidency, one who has become increasingly more upset as I have witnessed, time and time again, as Kamala Harris has been criticized and underreported on by the American media and several Democratic officials.
When Harris was elected to office, it was in the immediate aftermath of an insurrection. The COVID-19 crisis was raging, and Donald Trump was dominating the news media with a refusal to accept the 2020 election results. So while her record breaking new role was acknowledged with the customary news articles and expected tweets, it wasn’t proclaimed as loudly as it should have been.
It didn’t help that the first task Biden assigned his new VP was to deal with the crisis at our Southern Border. He knew Harris didn’t possess any deep experience dealing with immigration reform or Latin American instability. Prior to being elected as Vice President, Harris was the Attorney General of California and served briefly as a Senator, both positions that didn’t require deep knowledge of immigration law.
To build her repertoire, she needed a mix of both tough and familiar issues on her agenda. Instead, Biden continued to delegate her only the most complex of tasks, barring her from addressing tasks where she could both attain public wins and display her capabilities. She was trapped in a no win situation.
Her identity – as the first female, Black, and South Asian Vice President – also led to an unprecedented level of scrutiny, with the spotlight directed onto her.
If I polled average Americans on three legislative accomplishments directed by the last three Vice Presidents, Mike Pence, Joe Biden and Dick Cheney, I feel confident that 90% of them would barely be able to name two.
This is for a reason. The Vice President’s role is to stand in the background, to be the tie breaking vote for the Senate, and to be the ambassador to foreign nations, but never to overshadow the President. Yet Harris was constantly criticized for simply doing her job.
Instead of standing behind her and putting their faith in Biden’s choice, top Democratic officials began to muse privately about her inability. In public interviews, instead of defending Harris, they chose to stay silent, only further perpetuating rumors that highlighted her faults instead of celebrating her vast accomplishments.
So far into her term, Harris ranks third in breaking Senate ties, and frequently casts the tie vote on key legislation, including the Inflation Reduction Act. She has met with over 100 global leaders to advance Biden’s foreign policy goals and to strengthen global alliances in the wake of Donald Trump. In addition, she has pushed forth legislation to protect voting access, worked to expand earned income tax credit, played a major role getting COVID-19 vaccines into the hands of vulnerable Americans, and she has been a leading voice in the administration for abortion access in the wake of Roe v. Wade being overturned.
At best, Kamala Harris’ Vice Presidency should go down in the history books as a record-breaking term of legislative accomplishments, at worst, as nothing more than an example of stable governorship.
When Biden announced his 2024 re-election campaign, it felt as if Kamala Harris was finally redefining her reputation within the media. Three years in, the Vice Presidency had taught her important lessons, to prioritize issues about which she is passionate, to publicize her accomplishments, and to carve a distinct place for herself within political circles.
So when replacement rumors surrounding Harris began to swirl, I found myself shocked and confused. Here were prominent news columnists and analysts, many of them Democrats, proclaiming that Biden should ask Harris, the first female Vice President of color, to step down and be replaced with a more “likable” Democratic candidate. Not only was the chatter offensive, but it was glaringly inaccurate. They asserted that Harris was a detractor on the ticket. Instead, I argue that she is an indispensable asset.
One of the main complaints lodged against President Biden is his age; voters are wary of sending an 80 year old man back to the White House, one they believe is out of touch with the issues concerning Americans today. As a result, Harris is essential to turning out young voters. One only needs to look at the enthusiastic receptions that she received at Hampton University and Morehouse College, stops on her recent “Fight for Our Freedoms College Tour,” to grasp how critical she is in combating issues that touch voters personally.
Capturing young voters is essential to a Democratic victory in 2024. They can be motivated to vote for Biden next November, but only with the help of an enthusiastic Vice President, particularly the first woman, African American, and South Asian to hold the position. Even the research shows Harris’ effectiveness among the younger generation; a study from the Brookings Institute reports that in 2022, Gen Z and millennial voters decisively voted for Democratic candidates in even greater numbers than in 2018.
Gen Z in particular is especially diverse, both racially and socioeconomically, and they want someone who reflects that diversity. As the first woman and person of color to serve in the vice presidential office, Harris carries a special importance to members of the age group, including myself, who see her as someone who both mirrors the country’s diversity and paves the way for future leaders of all backgrounds and ethnicities.
Furthermore, a particular issue that young voters are passionate about is abortion rights, one that Harris has personally championed. While Biden has been more closely lipped on the subject, Harris has fiercely addressed the issue in several speeches and frequently engages with pro-choice organizations. Therefore, Kamala Harris is essential in unifying Democratic voters around arguably their most electrifying issue.
Unfortunately, as much as Democrats would like to deny it, Donald Trump has a chance at a victory in 2024. It is crucial that we have Kamala Harris on the ticket in order to unify all of the Democratic party’s factions and to provide women and younger members of the party with a legislative voice. It is only then that can we truly shatter the glass ceiling.
They asserted that Harris was a detractor on the ticket. Instead, I argue that she is an indispensable asset.