Kamala Harris has achieved a great deal in the month or so since she entered the race for the presidency. She has erased Trump's five-point lead in the polls for both national and key battleground states. The American electorate now seems much more comfortable with the thought of Harris as potential president, a feat she has been able to accomplish without projecting any overly exceptional qualities or coming up with any groundbreaking proposals.
It simply became clear a posteriori that a matchup between Trump and Biden was essentially a competition of their unfavorability ratings. So when one of these candidates was “shown the door,” so to speak, the less-than-ideal Kamala Harris suddenly had the advantage.
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This turn of events couldn't help but knock Trump off his game when his chances of victory increased considerably every time the hapless Biden appeared in public. Now, in order to regain the lead, he will have to deliver a knockout blow at the Sept. 10 debate, much as he did two months ago with Biden.
Trump's usual obnoxiousness will not be enough to deliver a knockout this time around. He needs to take a more substantive approach. Judging from his recent statements on the Middle East, his advisers perceive this topic to be a weak spot for Democrats and have armed their candidate with strong talking points in the run up to the debate.
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Trump has essentially accused the Biden administration of betraying its most important ally in the Middle East. One can argue with the wording of the sentiment, but it is nonetheless increasingly difficult to parse the outgoing president's endless sputtering about “avoiding a war at all costs,” or how crucial it is to “keep this conflict from escalating into a regional war.”
Honestly, what escalation? What regional war is the presumed “Leader of the Free World” afraid of when the forces of Absolute Evil (Russia, Iran, North Korea) are already waging a genocidal world war against the Free World with the aim of exterminating two of its freedom-loving nations: Ukraine and Israel.
I have two recommendations for Madam Vice-President. The first is she must somewhat distance herself from the current president. In the two months that remain in the campaign, she cannot allow herself to be held responsible for every new statement or decision emanating from the White House. She needs to remind both her opponent and American voters that her last name is Harris, not Biden, and to do all she can to articulate a more pro-Israel position.
She can further distance herself from Grandpa Biden by refusing to accommodate the Hamas apologists within the Democratic Party – both the progressives and the Islamists. She will lose their votes, yes, but in return gain ground with mainstream voters, three quarters of whom are in favor of more support for Israel.
After aligning herself more or less with Trump's pro-Israel stance, Harris would have sufficient cover to launch a decisive counterattack. She would be fully justified in calling out Trump's hypocrisy as well as his pathetic, shameful groveling before the serial killer in the Kremlin.
Case in point: Trump rightly criticizes Biden for not showing sufficient support for Israel but then in the same breath claims that Biden's unchecked support for Ukraine has brought the world to the brink of nuclear war.
Trump is nothing if not consistent in his aggressive hatred of Ukraine. Politicians in his corner in Congress made sure to block a military aid package to Ukraine for more than six months, putting the country in grave danger of losing the war. Trump then chose the most enthusiastic of these lowlifes to be his running mate.
The Republican establishment's position on Ukraine, however, differs drastically from that of Trump. The chairmen of the three most prominent House Committees have already submitted a "Proposed Plan for Victory in Ukraine" for Congressional review.
The Ukrainian military's incursion into Kursk was met with widespread approval and enthusiasm in Congress. During a bipartisan Congressional delegation visit to Kyiv led by Senators Graham and Blumenthal, the two lawmakers characterized the operation as “bold, brilliant, beautiful.” In addition, after their meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, the senators stated they would urge the US administration to agree to the Ukrainian president's persistent suggestions to:
- Remove all restrictions on strikes on the interior of Russian territory using American weapons.
- Provide Ukraine with additional air defense assets.
- Provide Ukraine with a significant, “game-changing” number of state-of-the-art aircraft flown by volunteer NATO pilots;
Zelensky has announced he is going to Washington, DC on Sept. 22 and will take with him his PLAN FOR VICTORY. He intends to discuss its implementation with Biden, Harris, and Trump.
The Sept. 10 candidates' debate will offer Harris a perfect opportunity to show not only the President of Ukraine but also the whole world just who of the three is most up to the task; who, quoting the Russian poet Fedor Tyutchev, is willing “in moments of destiny” to assume the mantle of Leader of the Free World.
Ukraine is looking forward to hearing the following words from Kamala Harris on Sept. 22: “Thank you, Mr. President. I accept your Plan. It is now Our Plan for Our Victory.”
Unfortunately, Kyiv is unlikely to hear such enthusiasm from Trump or Biden.
And last but not least, all this will do much to sway the largest current group of undecideds – pro-Ukraine Republicans – to vote for Harris and ensure she wins on Nov. 5.
The views expressed in this opinion article are the author’s and not necessarily those of Kyiv Post.
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