Kamala Harris: The true anti-Trump

By Cristina DC Pastor

In Kamala Harris’s rapid rise to the top, some Filipina Americans see in the vice president  a woman who is “dynamic,” “hardworking,” “powerful” and “assertive.” Someone profoundly qualified to be the 47^th president of the United States.

“Kamala Harris didn’t just come out of nowhere,” observed Cheryl Quinio-Blodgett, a former Democratic strategist in New Jersey. She cited Harris’s 13 years of prosecutorial experience as attorney general of California, three years as senator, and three and a half years as vice president to Joe Biden.

“She has had three and a half years learning from a President with his 50 years of bargaining experience with Congress,” she said. “She is a dynamic leader and a powerful speaker.”

Added Blodgett, “Kamala is a savvy and hardworking person.  It is what our country needs at this time. She will not be spending her time watching TV or golfing all day.”

Kamala, the presumptive Democratic candidate for president, is everything her Republican opponent is not: Progressive, person of color, no criminal record, does not belittle or insult people, is not known to fudge the facts or bend the truth. She is not known to over-hype her capability and lets her record as a public servant speak for what she stands for. Definitely not one to flirt, not even jokingly, with dictatorship.

She has secured the endorsements of Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack and Michelle Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Elizabeth Warren, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Squad, and nearly 90 percent of Democrats in Congress, according to news reports.

Among business titans and philanthropists, Alex Soros, the head of Soros Fund Management; Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings; Sheryl Sandberg, the former chief operating officer of Meta; and Melinda French Gates, the former wife of the Microsoft co-founder have made known their support for Harris, with Gates calling her the “right candidate right now.”

In Hollywood, among the entertainment celebrities who have proudly called Harris their candidate are Amy Schumer, George Clooney, Barbra Streisand, Cher and many more eager to help in her campaign. A spokesperson for Harris said star power is almost assured in the upcoming Democratic National Convention  in August.

Marissa Torres-Langseth, retired nurse-practitioner, said Harris is “free from bigotry and enforces equality in all human life forms.”

“As a legal immigrant myself, now, with dual Filipino American citizenship, we need to be very careful who we vote for in this election,” she reminded. “An empowered, well-read, compassionate, knowledgeable mind is likely to vote Democrat to preserve true democracy and human rights.”

Like Blodgett, Langseth has worrying concerns about Project 2025, the conservative blueprint which some progressives believe will guide Trump’s second administration. The fear is that it will reverse or withhold protections for the LGBT sector, abortion rights and climate change reforms.

“The Germans did not expect Hitler to take over in World War II. We do not want that to happen in the U.S. soil. It all started with something like Project 2025. Someone who wants to rise above the law and wants to destroy the Constitution should be stopped. We do not need dictatorship or autocracy in the USA,” she said further.

Community advocate Cecile Ochoa of California is one who has followed the course of Harris’s politics.

“I have known of her from her early days vying for electorates’ support for attorney general, vice presidency and now as president. Her unwavering support for then candidate Biden in the midst of top Democrats’ disapproval, shows loyalty and unfaltering belief in his successful programs, particularly foreign policy, low-income betterment, commitment to the stability of social security and health benefits. It shows exceptional strength of character.”

She pointed out how Harris “didn’t vacillate for her own selfish motives (which) is quite admirable.”

Like Langseth, Jersey City resident Jenny Castaneda is not bothered when Harris breaks into giggles, the sound of her laughter not at all grating to the ear.

“I love her laugh, which is annoying to some,” she said. Langseth thinks the Kamala guffaw “exudes confidence.”

Healthcare is topmost in Castaneda’s list of issues, and she is happy to note that Harris favors a more inclusive and progressive healthcare program.

“I know where she stands on that. She will have my vote,” she said.

© The FilAm 2024