Few people would suggest that Kamala Harris is an outstanding orator. Her acceptance speech last night got off to a guttering start, dwelling for too long on a rendition of her backstory before she got into her stride.
After a bit of meandering, however, the section that roused the audience was the one that is perhaps distinguished by its divisiveness: foreign policy. Particularly the war in Gaza, the subject of rowdy and disturbing Left-wing protests outside the convention center in downtown Chicago, which saw the immolation of an American flag.
Before backing into that quagmire, she stoked the energy in the hall. “As Commander-in-Chief, I will ensure America always has the strongest, most lethal fighting force in the world,” she said. Great stuff. Can you imagine a British leader, even one from the Right, being so bold? Much applause.
Harris compounded the bombast by vowing to ensure that “America, not China, wins the competition for the 21st century and that we strengthen, not abdicate, our global leadership.” This she contrasted with Trump’s threats to abandon Nato and his bizarre remark that so far as he was concerned, the Russians could do “whatever the hell they want” if the Europeans didn’t pay their way. Everything was going swimmingly.
With the stage thus set, Harris launched into the thorny matter of Israel. This is the point where it all got a little bit Alice Through The Looking Glass. Hamas seemed to get off rather lightly; and Iran – the head of the octopus which has wrapped its tentacles around the region and is reaching into London and Washington – almost escaped altogether.
Disappointingly, her very first statement, the one that set the tone, underscored her desire for a peace agreement. “Now is the time to get a hostage deal and a ceasefire deal done,” she insisted, indicating that she intended to fall into the Biden trap of telegraphing America’s desperation for a deal to a negotiating partner that is listening hard and will adjust its terms accordingly.
Thereafter, however, the terrorist group strangely faded from the speech. Harris went on to decry the “devastating” suffering in Gaza, with “so many innocent lives lost” and “desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety over and over again”. Of course, it was entirely right to show such human sympathy, and to conclude that “the scale of suffering is heartbreaking”. And it was impressive that any explicit criticism of Israel – for which there must have been much Left-wing lobbying – made no appearance here. But there was no repetition of the blame that must fall upon Hamas for the war.
In fact, Hamas is not solely to blame. Even as the Islamic Republic openly plots a second major attack on the Jewish state, it was mentioned only very briefly. “I will never hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to defend our forces and our interests against Iran and Iran-backed terrorists,” Harris said, suggesting a determination to continue to play defense à la Biden, rather than enforce a deterrent. Which is exactly what has been going so wrong.
Could you imagine Churchill acknowledging that Germany triggered the war on September 1, 1939, but then speaking movingly of the suffering of German civilians at the expense of lambasting Hitler? Could you imagine him failing to connect Germany, Japan and Italy? To defeat an enemy you must name him. Otherwise he does not exist.
With so many messages ringing in their ears, convention delegates across a wide range of the political spectrum went away happy. But the Ayatollah must have been far from dismayed. These stupid Americans, he chuckled to himself. I’m systematically tightening the noose and they can’t even bring themselves to name me. What’s the point of having the “strongest, most lethal fighting force in the world” if you’re not clear about its target? And with that, the last part of the Cheshire Cat to vanish was its grin.
After a bit of meandering, however, the section that roused the audience was the one that is perhaps distinguished by its divisiveness: foreign policy. Particularly the war in Gaza, the subject of rowdy and disturbing Left-wing protests outside the convention center in downtown Chicago, which saw the immolation of an American flag.
Before backing into that quagmire, she stoked the energy in the hall. “As Commander-in-Chief, I will ensure America always has the strongest, most lethal fighting force in the world,” she said. Great stuff. Can you imagine a British leader, even one from the Right, being so bold? Much applause.
Harris compounded the bombast by vowing to ensure that “America, not China, wins the competition for the 21st century and that we strengthen, not abdicate, our global leadership.” This she contrasted with Trump’s threats to abandon Nato and his bizarre remark that so far as he was concerned, the Russians could do “whatever the hell they want” if the Europeans didn’t pay their way. Everything was going swimmingly.
With the stage thus set, Harris launched into the thorny matter of Israel. This is the point where it all got a little bit Alice Through The Looking Glass. Hamas seemed to get off rather lightly; and Iran – the head of the octopus which has wrapped its tentacles around the region and is reaching into London and Washington – almost escaped altogether.
Disappointingly, her very first statement, the one that set the tone, underscored her desire for a peace agreement. “Now is the time to get a hostage deal and a ceasefire deal done,” she insisted, indicating that she intended to fall into the Biden trap of telegraphing America’s desperation for a deal to a negotiating partner that is listening hard and will adjust its terms accordingly.
Thereafter, however, the terrorist group strangely faded from the speech. Harris went on to decry the “devastating” suffering in Gaza, with “so many innocent lives lost” and “desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety over and over again”. Of course, it was entirely right to show such human sympathy, and to conclude that “the scale of suffering is heartbreaking”. And it was impressive that any explicit criticism of Israel – for which there must have been much Left-wing lobbying – made no appearance here. But there was no repetition of the blame that must fall upon Hamas for the war.
In fact, Hamas is not solely to blame. Even as the Islamic Republic openly plots a second major attack on the Jewish state, it was mentioned only very briefly. “I will never hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to defend our forces and our interests against Iran and Iran-backed terrorists,” Harris said, suggesting a determination to continue to play defense à la Biden, rather than enforce a deterrent. Which is exactly what has been going so wrong.
Could you imagine Churchill acknowledging that Germany triggered the war on September 1, 1939, but then speaking movingly of the suffering of German civilians at the expense of lambasting Hitler? Could you imagine him failing to connect Germany, Japan and Italy? To defeat an enemy you must name him. Otherwise he does not exist.
With so many messages ringing in their ears, convention delegates across a wide range of the political spectrum went away happy. But the Ayatollah must have been far from dismayed. These stupid Americans, he chuckled to himself. I’m systematically tightening the noose and they can’t even bring themselves to name me. What’s the point of having the “strongest, most lethal fighting force in the world” if you’re not clear about its target? And with that, the last part of the Cheshire Cat to vanish was its grin.
