The deputy has been revealed. Can it add points to Harris, who has been "breaking the ceiling all his life"? | International Observation
2024-08-10
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Intern Yuan Xiaoyu Cover News reporter Wang Meng
U.S. Vice President Harris, who has already secured the Democratic presidential nomination, announced on the 6th that she had chosen Minnesota Governor Waltz as her running mate. Harris formally introduced Waltz at a campaign event in Pennsylvania that evening, thus launching a five-day campaign in key swing states.
US media and analysts had previously predicted that Harris, who has African-American and Asian backgrounds, would choose a white male politician as her running mate, and Waltz's selection confirmed this view. Why did Waltz, who is not well-known, stand out? Can he "add points" to Harris? Now, less than 100 days before the US election, Harris will face off against Republican presidential candidate Trump. Who will win the US presidential throne?
Harris file photo. Xinhua News Agency
Of African American and Asian background
Harris "has been breaking ceilings his whole life"
Harris was born in California in October 1964. Her father is Jamaican economist Donald Harris and her mother is Indian cancer researcher Shyamala Gopala. When she was 7 years old, her parents divorced and Harris moved to Canada with her mother and sister to attend high school in Montreal. Due to her family situation, Harris has a very close relationship with her mother. "My mother raised me and my sister. She is very strong. Although she is only 1.5 meters tall, she is a 3-meter giant in my eyes." It was her mother's strength, courage and wisdom that deeply influenced Harris, making her show confidence and determination far beyond ordinary people. At the age of 13, Harris showed some ability to participate in politics. She took her sister to protest the "policy of prohibiting children from playing on the lawn" in front of the apartment building in Montreal.
After graduating from high school, Harris studied for a double degree in political science and economics at Howard University in the United States, a university with a long history. Harris has never been troubled by her ancestry. She said frankly: "Thanks to my mother for bringing me into the African and Asian communities since I was a child, and exposing me to a variety of rich cultures. Therefore, I have never felt uncomfortable because of my cultural background."
After graduating from college, Harris was admitted to the University of California, Hastings College of the Law and received a Doctor of Law degree. Influenced by elite education and family values, Harris gradually emerged in the political arena with his interest and talent in politics.
In 1990, Harris passed the bar exam, joined the California Bar Association, and was hired as a deputy prosecutor in Alameda County, California. In 1998, Harris joined the San Francisco District Attorney's Office and was successfully elected as the San Francisco District Attorney in 2004. From then on, she led the District Attorney's Office until 2010.
Interestingly, when Harris ran for San Francisco District Attorney in 2003, her Chinese lawyer friend Su Rongli's father Su Xifen gave her a Chinese name: "He Jinli". This Chinese name not only increased Harris's popularity, but also set off a trend of taking Chinese names in local political circles, which made Harris win the attention of many Chinese people.
In 2010, Harris was elected California Attorney General, becoming the first female Attorney General in California's history, as well as the first Jamaican and Indian Attorney General in the state's history. In 2014, she was successfully re-elected without any suspense. In 2016, California Senator Bosse announced his retirement, and Harris was the first to stand up and declare his candidacy for the position. After winning the election, Harris strongly advocated tax cuts for low-income families and judicial reform.
In August 2020, Biden chose Harris as the Democratic vice presidential candidate, and the two won the election together in the same year. In January 2021, Harris was sworn in as the highest-ranking woman in public office in American history. For a long time, opening her mouth and laughing "haha" has become Harris's signature move. On the Drew Barrymore Show, Harris said that her laughter is a continuation of her mother's laughter and has a special place in her heart. "I have my mother's laughter. I grew up around a group of women who laughed from the bottom of their hearts."
Enriching resume "assists"
What are the advantages of Harris running against Waltz?
Last weekend, Harris "interviewed" the final three candidates, including Waltz, and in the end Waltz "won".
Waltz, 60, was a former U.S. congressman. He was elected governor of Minnesota in 2018 and was re-elected in 2022. Harris said Waltz is a retired soldier, former high school teacher and football coach, who is very determined to fight for middle-class families. During his tenure as governor, he cut taxes for working families, reduced drug costs, and protected women's rights.
File photo of Waltz. Xinhua News Agency
Christopher Galdieri, a political science expert at Saint Anselm College in the United States, said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency that Waltz's experience can attract voters from multiple groups: progressives and liberals like his achievements as governor, and his military service and high school football coaching experience can attract voters in the "Rust Belt" states, which are crucial in the election campaign between the two parties.
US election stalemate
Who will win between "Harvo" and "Tewan"?
In the US presidential election, the candidate's running mate is crucial because if the candidate wins, his running mate will become the next US vice president. The Washington Post believes that Harris and Waltz have built a "politically advantageous" campaign combination. On the other hand, Trump's campaign combination with Vance, who was born in the 1980s, is also very eye-catching. The Associated Press reported that Vance's joining will inject some "millennial energy" into the presidential election.
Harris's campaign has been gaining momentum in the past few weeks. However, although she is catching up with Trump in some polls, she is still lagging behind Trump in several key swing states and is in a stalemate with the latter.
According to poll data compiled by the US election information website "Real Transparent Politics", as of the 6th, Harris was ahead of Trump by an average of 0.5 percentage points in national polls, while about a week ago, Trump was ahead of Harris by an average of 1.2 percentage points in national polls. In the highly watched states of Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, Harris was behind Trump by 0.2 percentage points and 1.8 percentage points respectively in the polls; in Michigan, Harris was ahead by 2 percentage points.
According to AFP, Pennsylvania is seen as the most valuable "battleground state" for the results of this year's US presidential election. Democratic President Joseph Biden won the presidential election four years ago by winning in this state as well as Michigan and Wisconsin.
According to media reports, Harris will campaign in western Wisconsin and Detroit, Michigan on the 7th. In the next few days, she will travel to Raleigh, North Carolina, Savannah, Georgia, Phoenix, Arizona, and Las Vegas, Nevada to campaign.
Comprehensive Xinhua News Agency, CCTV News, etc.
