IMAGINE the banner headlines in American media on Nov 5: Harris elected US president. Harris beats Trump to the White House. Kamala wins by wafer-thin margin.
It would be an earth-shattering news if Harris is elected the next US president. She would chalk up some historic firsts in the annals of American history: first woman president, first black woman president, first woman president of Asian origin.
Harris would remain in the spotlight for a long time as America comes to grip with these unprecedented times.
How do you to deal with Harris? Can a woman president step up to the plate, considering the many challenges at home and abroad? Can America, a largely male-dominated white society, take orders from a female commander-in-chief?
Online and printed media would be devoting streams of reports on what would it mean for the United States under the Harris presidency. There would be countless comments and analyses and interviews as experts give their two-cents’ worth.
America would have to wait and see how Harris would steer the country in her first 100 days in office. At home, there is the daunting task of tackling the economy and the more serious problem of stopping or reducing the ceaseless flow of illegal immigrants.
Abroad, the challenges and threats posed by nuclear-crazed nations and theocratic states would test the mettle of American leadership under Harris watch.
Harris would be enjoying a honeymoon period with both the press and the public when she occupies the Oval Office.
Her life history would be recounted numberless times, focussing especially on her Asian roots. She would come under intense scrutiny as the freewheeling US press goes about sniffing her past probably to ferret out any skeletons in her closet, or some other titbits about her early years in politics.
Journalists would be dispatched to the village of Thulasendrapuram in southern India where her maternal grandparents were born, to get reactions from the villagers.
A victory for Kamala would not only impact the village directly but would also be welcome news in the subcontinent because one of the daughters of mother India has become the 47th president of the most powerful country in the world.
And then there is Donald Trump. Would the former president magnanimously concede defeat or would he incite a second insurrection against the citadel of democracy if the outcome is razor-thin?
In the final lap of his campaign, Trump has been firing on all cylinders, mixing large doses of personal insults with toxic substances of racism.
He is not guarded or restrained by the rules of moral conduct. He is simply rough, tough, uncouth and yet he’s making a strong showing. He and Harris are tied in a neck and neck race.
The American public is lapping up and hugely enjoying all his tales, tall or short. To them, it is like watching Hollywood cowboy movies where white macho guys always win in a showdown with Red Indians (now immigrants).
If Trump turns the table on Harris, then only two words would hit the newsstands throughout the length and breadth of America: “Trump’s back!” – Nov 1, 2024
Phlip Rodrigues is a retired journalist.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
