In a matter of weeks, everything has changed in the endless struggle for political control of the United States. After cruising towards victory for months, despite all the crazy things he’s said and done, Donald Trump is now flailing, and Kamala Harris has transformed from being an underwhelming VP to the most exciting candidate for president since Barack Obama.
Most polls now show Harris ahead or neck and neck with her Republican opponent, both nationally and in the crucial swing states that will decide the electoral college and the national result.
In terms of actual policy, so far, very little new is on the table. Ms Harris has been a key part of the Biden administration since day one, and carries some responsibility for continuing to arm Israel as it bombs civilians in Gaza, and drilling more gas and oil than any administration in US history, while also advancing climate change policies and improving conditions for many workers.
Her newfound joy and energy is infectious though, and has been amplified by her surprise pick as running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a very progressive figure on a number of crucial issues despite his folksy appearance.
If the positivity of these two can motivate a relatively small number of people in a small number of states to get out and vote on election day, the Democrats will win.
Extreme right running out of steam?
With the Murdoch family currently engaged in an internal battle for control of the media empire which brought Donald Trump and Boris Johnson to prominence, we are living in a window where progressive change is increasingly possible.
The recent elections in the UK and France show the waning grip of the far right, even if newer players like Elon Musk are doing what they can to drag the world in the opposite direction. After all, tax cuts for billionaires and dwindling protections for workers don’t legislate themselves.
As the winds of change gather intensity, other extremely rich people are throwing millions of dollars towards the Harris-Walz campaign, some with requests attached. Prominent supporters include Netflix cofounder Reed Hastings, tech investor Ron Conway, George and Alex Soros, Reid Hoffman (who cofounded LinkedIn and PayPal) and Melinda French Gates.
For a woman of the people, Kamala Harris has some very deep corporate connections. She is close friends with Disney/ABC executive Dana Walden; Brad Smith of Microsoft and Sheryl Sandberg (former chief operating officer) are also important allies. Harris’s brother-in-law Tony West is the principal lawyer for Uber, and has taken leave from that position to work on her campaign.
Nothing happens without serious money in America, but this also brings serious risks for their version of democracy, as the world has seen too many times. The veteran Vermont senator Bernie Sanders says the Harris-Walz ticket can only win if they remain focused on the precarious situation of ordinary Americans, rather than being distracted by billionaires and the antics of the extreme right.
In recent years, Mr Sanders has been a staunch defender of the man who defeated him for the Democrat nomination in 2020, Joe Biden, who turned out to be a far more progressive figure in office than most people expected, apart from the Israel issue. Although Bernie Sanders didn’t publicly endorse Biden’s replacement immediately, last week he said, ‘I have been knocking my brains out in the last month to make sure that Kamala Harris wins this election.’
It’s hard to think of any other candidate who has enjoyed such a broad coalition of support.
What about Australia?
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has met Kamala Harrison on several occasions, and describes the VP as ‘a good friend to Australia’. For her part, Ms Harris has spoken glowingly about Australia’s approach to gun violence.
But what about the big guns? While she has made noises about changing direction on Israel, there is no sign at this stage of any change to trade, defence or AUKUS arrangements under a prospective Harris presidency.
With Australians learning this week via a public letter from Joe Biden to the US Congress that we have signed up for further secret ‘political commitments’ in relation to AUKUS, speculation has run wild about what these might consist of.
Will nuclear waste from other countries be stored here? How ‘second-hand’ will the first Virginia class boats be? Will we have ‘sovereign control’ of the new British-built subs if they ever turn up, as promised, or will they be part of the extended fleets of our AUKUS allies and simply stationed here? When will the people of Australia be told what we’ve agreed to, exactly?
After more than a month off, the Australian parliament returns to sit for a couple of weeks today, but the answers to these questions are unlikely to be forthcoming. Perhaps the best we can hope for is that our American friends do not elect (or have forced upon them) a habitual liar, grifter and felon as their next president.
Originally from Canberra, David Lowe is an award-winning film-maker, writer and photographer with particular interests in the environment and politics. He’s known for his campaigning work with Cloudcatcher Media.
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