Who is Kamala Harris? The Democratic presidential candidate tried to answer this question in her eagerly awaited acceptance speech at the party convention in Chicago.

Even though she has been vice president for three and a half years, recent polls showed that about a third of Americans had little idea what Harris stood for before her speech. That result is partly because she won the nomination without winning a single primary vote after President Joe Biden was forced out of the race.

The keynote was Harris’s prime-time introduction and undoubtedly the defining moment of her campaign – and political career – to date. The speech was delivered by Barack Obama’s former speechwriter Adam Frankel, who is part of a new team of Harris insiders that includes Obama’s former campaign manager David Plouffe. It was a call to arms, urging moderates and progressives alike to put aside their differences and rally behind the Democrats.

In the days leading up to Thursday night, Harris retreated to a nearby hotel where she honed and practiced her oratory skills. Although she is better known for her prosecution skills than her oratory skills, Harris still commanded the stage at the packed United Center.

She placed great importance on her identity as the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants and portrayed herself as the embodiment of the country’s diversity. She portrayed her rapid career rise, which made her the highest-ranking female government official of all time, as a reflection of the American dream.

Building the middle class

From her time as a district attorney in California to her time in the Senate, Harris said her life experiences have given her a clear perspective on the challenges Americans face on a daily basis. She stressed that her background has influenced her political agenda, which she promotes as pro-family and pro-working class.

She added: “We know that a strong middle class has always been critical to America’s success, and building that middle class will be one of the critical goals of my presidency.”

Biden portrayed Trump as an existential threat to US democracy, while Harris held back her language, emphasizing what is at stake without fully adopting Biden’s sharper tone.

“In many ways, Donald Trump is an untrustworthy man,” she said. “But the consequences of Donald Trump returning to the White House are extremely serious.”

The end of the honeymoon

Harris’ speech capped an electrifying week for Democrats, sparking a wave of enthusiasm that would have been unthinkable just a few weeks ago, when Biden was battling both Trump and internal dissidents in his own party. Some polls now show Harris with a slight lead nationally and in several key swing states.

But the honeymoon comes to an end at some point. That’s always the case with honeymoons.

For weeks, Harris has been swimming in glowing media coverage and admiration from her party, with the focus on what it would mean for her to be the first female president in US history and her rapid rise in the polls.

But despite all the excitement, Harris has not yet held a major press conference where she has been grilled by the opposition media. She has not yet given an interview.

Harris’ successful campaign was arguably more a matter of personality than policy. She benefited from an image makeover with the help of new generation “influencers” who created online memes and “fan cams” portraying her as a “girlboss” about to take over Washington.

But TikTok videos and social media hype are no substitute for substance. Harris’ agenda will inevitably face critical scrutiny that will test her mettle.

In her only notable political speech to date, Harris called for a nationwide ban on “price gouging” on food and groceries. Many economists criticized this proposal as a ploy that could actually make inflation worse. Now she said her proposal had been misunderstood.

Although she echoes Obama’s call for “hope and change” for the future, Harris must come to terms with the fact that it was Democrats, not Republicans, who held the White House for nearly 12 of the last 16 years.

In her speech to the Democratic National Convention, Harris emphasized that she “brought Democrats and conservative Republicans together to write the strongest border bill in decades,” and she emphasized one of Trump’s core issues, immigration. But the bill was never implemented, and Harris’ role in addressing the “root causes” of illegal immigration is widely seen as a weak point.

On the issue of abortion, Harris said she would “proudly sign a bill that restores reproductive freedom,” but she falsely claimed that Trump wants to “enact a nationwide ban on abortion.”

Policy proposals

Harris must also make clear where she stands on Biden’s side – and where she distances herself from her boss. This includes the radioactive issue of the Gaza war, which Harris has largely avoided so far.

In her speech, she gave some hints about her foreign policy approach. She said she would work with Biden to achieve an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and that she would support Ukraine and work with NATO to strengthen U.S. global leadership. This approach contradicts Trump’s suggestions that he would cut off funding for both.

And then there is Harris’ own record in government. She was once ranked as the second-most left-wing U.S. senator of the 21st century, according to an analysis of congressional votes by political scientist Mark P. Jones.

Trump struggled to define Harris, not knowing which criticisms would resonate. Republican attacks calling Harris a “DEI” (diversity, equity and inclusion) candidate largely missed the mark. Even Trump’s nicknames for Harris – “Kamala Crash” or “Kamabla” – don’t seem to have the same impact as “Crooked Hillary” or “Sleepy Joe.”

Trump will learn. The main accusation against Harris, as always, is that she is a “San Francisco liberal.” That is the line that Trump will ultimately take when he gives his own answer to the question: Who is Kamala Harris?

The country will certainly want to know more about them.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Thomas Gift does not work for, consult for, own shares in, or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond his academic employment.