kamala

By Invitation | The American election

A prominent donor on why the Democrats shouldn’t anoint Kamala Harris

A competition to replace Joe Biden would better serve the party, and the country, argues Joe Ravitch

Jul 22nd 2024

It is monday morning in America and President Joe Biden has done the right thing. The Democratic Party now has a historic opportunity to reconnect with voters and change the future. Politics is one of America’s favourite sports. Choosing Mr Biden’s replacement to go up against Donald Trump needs to be the Final Four, the nba Finals and the Super Bowl all wrapped into one exciting month to engage everyone in a real discussion of the country’s future. America is not alone in having a society that is disaffected by traditional politics. Technological change, globalisation and the economics of urbanisation have led to greater wealth disparities across the Western world and the rising popularity of authoritarians like Mr Trump, Viktor Orban and Marine Le Pen. Even if there are no easy answers, the Democrats can win this election by choosing a ticket that Americans feel can provide energy, strength and youth.

Anointing Vice-President Kamala Harris as the nominee without making her earn it will lead to disastrous results. No one voted for her for president and Mr Biden’s endorsement is not conclusive. There are four full weeks before the party’s convention, and America’s highly sophisticated media can create awareness and spread the words and deeds of a good candidate like wildfire. Democratic leaders—not just politicians but from all circles, including business, academia, technology and culture—need to encourage a broad set of next-generation candidates to enter the race. The money is there and will be the least of the party’s problems.

Beyond paid media, every media outlet will spend vast sums covering the emerging candidates and their voices will be spread via social media to all corners of the country and beyond. I have worked in the media world for more than 30 years and there has never been a more dynamic ecosystem for political debate than today’s. News outlets will compete to host debates and social media will kick into high gear. All of the airtime will be consumed by the big question of who are the best candidates heading into the convention in mid-August. News cycles now last days and hours instead of weeks. Numerous exciting plans for candidates to blitz their way to the convention and build support are already circulating.

Mr Biden’s delegates are now free to vote for whomever they choose. Superdelegates, often derided, represent a useful group of Democrats who have experience in winning elections and can play a valuable role in the rounds of voting. The convention should be electric with energy as the strongest candidates work the media and the floor in a bid to win support.

This conversation can dominate the nation’s attention for the next month and provide significant momentum coming out of the convention for the nominee. Only the right-wing media will bother covering the Trump rallies, which will feel tired and repetitive with the usual rehash of election denial, threats of violence and bashing an administration that is stepping aside for a new generation.

On the Democratic side, the conversation needs to be about how to truly restore American greatness based on a candid discussion of real issues and challenges facing most Americans. There are practical ways to address climate change, create jobs and increase public safety that will appeal to the ordinary American. The world is still inspired by American ideals and people want to feel good about themselves and their values, which include standing up for democracy globally and feeling included in society and safe in their homes. The border can be controlled without bashing immigrants and new industries can create jobs without the fiction of reopening coal mines. America’s diversity has always made it stronger, not weaker.

Most importantly, America’s odd electoral system means that most state voting outcomes are predetermined and the election results will hinge on a small number of swing states, such as Michigan, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia and Wisconsin. The key for the Democrats is to nominate a ticket that can win independent and disaffected voters in those states, not to win more votes in the deep-blue states on the coasts. A fresh, high-energy ticket will contrast strongly with an ageing plutocrat whose party’s positions on abortion and a number of other substantive issues are deeply unpopular.

The best thing the Democrats collectively can do is to spend the time before the convention encouraging a lively competition among different candidates. If they simply fall into line supporting an incumbent baggage-heavy vice-president then they deserve to lose. Let this be the most exciting sporting event of the summer, a political Olympiad where all Americans can feel they have a chance to weigh in and say what they think about different candidates. This will generate the kind of energy and turnout among independent voters that can turn the tide.

Winning this election is an existential challenge for the Democrats—and for the country as a whole. Mr Biden was the ideal transitional president. But now we need a new vision to unite Americans against the dark, 1930s-style “America First” pablum of the Trump cult. The Democrats’ biggest mistake would be to squander this opportunity and accept a coronation imposed by an unpopular and ageing president. This is a historic chance to do something different and bold. I hope they seize the moment.■

Joe Ravitch, a long-time Democratic donor, is a co-founder and partner of the Raine Group, a global merchant bank.