With acceptance speech, Harris earns her ascent

Opinion editor’s note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom.

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The November presidential race appears to be bordering on a dead heat, but this much is beyond dispute:

Vice President Kamala Harris has successfully prosecuted a strong case for the nation to consider her for the office of president. In a convincing Democratic National Convention address, she demonstrated how she is prepared for the challenge her party bestowed upon her just a few weeks ago.

Whether her address and the short run-up remaining to the election will ultimately influence undecided voters or move the needle on conflicted GOP loyalists, Harris’ candidacy has fully energized and mobilized the Democratic base in ways unimaginable before President Joe Biden’s abrupt decision to exit the race in July. The development is good for America. Robust choice matters. The same holds true for the coming debate(s) between Harris and former President Donald Trump.

In a convention speech, which was partly a retelling of her remarkable personal story, a campaign pep rally and a thinly veiled State of the Union address, she managed to accomplish what many other partisans have recently attempted to do: Harris identified herself.

She laid out core values, signaled how she would govern if elected president and took a page out of Trump’s playbook and offered her own scathing definition of him.

What America saw Thursday was not just a “joyful warrior,” which seems a bit of a pejorative portrait, but a tough and resolute leader with strong convictions and experiences that guide her.

Skeptics will correctly note that some of her domestic policy initiatives remain light or not fully fleshed out. She has backtracked on issues such as fracking and Medicare for All. Serious questions remain to be answered about how she would tax the rich or the middle class. All that said, she used the convention to hit populist issues that matter to many.

She talked about protecting Social Security, lowering health care costs and maintaining her unwavering stance on reproductive rights, which will continue to be a defining wedge issue between her and Trump.

On international affairs, she exuded the confidence of a commander in chief when she spoke of the continuing national security threats posed by China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. She declared her commitment to keeping America’s military the strongest among all nations. She also highlighted how she would confront and manage our sworn enemies.

“I will not cozy up to tyrants and dictators like Kim Jong Un, who are rooting for Trump because they know he is easy to manipulate with flattery and favors. […] In the enduring struggle between democracy and tyranny, I know where I stand,” she declared.

Regarding the war in Gaza, she skillfully threaded the needle. She reaffirmed her stance on Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorist violence. She also declared that the violence must end, hostages must be returned and a permanent cease-fire must be created. She also stated her belief in the Palestinians’ right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination.

On the question of the Southern border and illegal immigration, she made it clear that she will not allow the issue to become her Achilles’ heel.

“I refuse to play politics with our security. [I will] bring back the bipartisan border security bill that [Trump] killed and sign it into law,” she declared.

Harris ended her convention speech with a nod to the reckoning that awaits our country: “We are the heirs to the greatest democracy in the history of the world and … we must be worthy of this moment.”

To echo vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, America is closing in on the end zone of what will undoubtedly prove to be a bruising stretch run. One of these presidential candidates will cross the goal line into the ultimate seat of power: the White House. Two decidedly different futures weigh in the balance. The world is watching knowing that our fates are all intertwined.

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To our readers: Editorials are signed by their authors when they align with the general views and longstanding principles of the board but are based on the reporting and expertise of the writer. They will be unsigned when they reflect a strong consensus of the board.