By The Economist
Photos: YouTube Screenshots
One task for Kamala Harris is to prove she is far more energetic than her current boss. Admittedly, that’s a low bar.
The more lively the 59-year-old proves to be, the more that voters should see the contrast to her opponent, Donald Trump. If Mr. Trump starts to be perceived as an elderly man, prone to senior moments and unable to work relentlessly long days, his pugnacious appeal might dim.
Perhaps that explains why our poll tracker shows Ms. Harris closing the gap with him.
Ms Harris has indeed moved fast in the past week.
After the Obamas endorsed her to be the Democrats’ presidential nominee on Friday there is zero possibility that any rival could emerge. The only serious question remaining about Ms. Harris’ nomination is over her choice of running-mate—that will come within days. In my view, the choice of running-mate is most unlikely to influence the result by much, but it will still say something about Ms. Harris.
We’ve weighed the merits of a small number of front-runners.
We’ve published a great deal more since last Sunday on the big events in American politics, including this new story on the politics of immigration and how that might affect support for Ms. Harris. One of my favorite developments concerns social-media memes, the “brat” phenomenon and Ms. Harris. If, like me, you needed a guide to brat, then I’d strongly recommend this piece.
