Kamala Harris is the new face in the 2024 race for the presidency. Her career began on the prosecutorial side of law enforcement. Harris’ work in Alameda County, California eventually took her to the San Francisco City Attorney’s office where she was later elected District Attorney. She successfully ran statewide for Attorney General for the State of California and then became a U.S.Senator. Harris unsuccessfully ran for President in 2020. She then was selected by Joe Biden to be Vice President for his winning ticket.
Now as the Democratic candidate for President, Harris has the opportunity to use her prosecutor skills in an arena that is much larger than the various civil and criminal courtrooms where Donald Trump is being tried or already convicted. In politics one can go beyond provable behavior to elements of character that can be disqualifying.
For example, there is the issue of unpatriotic behavior on the part of Freidrich Trump, the former President’s grandfather who avoided military service by leaving Germany and then got kicked out of the country when he tried to return. This tendency was repeated in his grandson who did the same thing when called to serve during the Vietnam War.
The matter related to the treatment of women also goes beyond behavior to character. The story of E. Jean Carroll who sued Trump for sexual abuse and defamation and won is a prime example. After the verdict, Donald Trump continued to threaten and diminish Carroll to the point that she sued again and won again. To date Carroll has accumulated some $83.3 million in awards.
The prosecution of the 91 criminal charges of the Republican candidate has so far yielded 34 felony convictions. The pursuit of these cases also needs to take into consideration the former President’s reaction to the justices system before, during and after trials.Trump is publically going after judges, witnesses, juries and prosecutors in a way that distorts the justice system. It seems that, when it comes to him, he sees himself above the law.
That history of flaunting the law should have a hearing with the American people. Most of all, the attack on the Constitution and the attempt to change the 2020 election results led by the former President is of fundamental concern.
Having lost the 2020 election, Trump invited his supporters to Washington to change the results. They attacked the capitol in an attempt to force the congressional delega- tions to open the way for the former President to stay in power.
The question of Donald Trump’s character that has led to bizarre, illegal and criminal actions in the past, can only be a prelude to a discussion about what Americans want to see in their future leadership. It is a matter of competing visions, beginning with the founding principles of our constitutional order.
The prosecution of a vision for the future brings into focus the notions of democracy versus autocracy. These fancy words denote a sinister clash between our present ability to live our lives as a free expression of our dreams and life in a regimented world that limits our freedom.
When we are told by candidate Trump that he intends to be a dictator on day one, we should believe him and be wary, especially now when the United States Supreme Court has ruled that a President can do no legal wrong. The national stage has been set for two candidates, one a prosecutor with a lot of experience and the other a repeat offender.
The views expressed by David Conde are not necessarily the views of laVozColorado. Comments and responses may be directed to news@lavozcolorado.com.
