With Harris, Democrats would bet against US history of sexism, racism

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STORY: The Democratic party will be taking a historic gamble if it turns to Vice President Kamala Harris to become its presidential candidate.

"Do we believe in freedom? Do we believe in opportunity? Do we believe in the promise of America?"

It would be betting that a Black woman can overcome racism, sexism and her own missteps as a politician to defeat Republican Donald Trump.

The focus turns to Harris after President Joe Biden, in a historic move, ended his reelection campaign on Sunday, as fellow Democrats lost faith in his mental acuity and ability to beat Trump.

Minutes later - he endorsed Harris.

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All this leaves the presidential race in uncharted territory.

In more than two centuries of democracy, American voters have elected only one Black president and never a woman, a record that makes even some Black voters wonder if Harris can crash through the hardest ceiling in U.S. politics.

"Well, this here is the one: the most existential, consequential and important election of our lifetime. And there is so much at stake."

Harris would face other big challenges: if promoted to the top of the ticket, she would have barely three months to campaign and unite the party and donors behind her.

Yet many Democrats are excited about her chances.

At 59, Harris is two decades younger than Trump and a leader in the party on abortion rights, an issue which resonates with younger voters and Democrats' progressive base.

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Proponents argue she would energize those voters, consolidate Black support, and bring sharp debating skills to prosecute the political case against the former president.

In a hypothetical head-to-head matchup, Harris and Trump were tied with 44% support each in a July 15-16 Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted immediately after the assassination attempt against Trump.

Trump led Biden 43% to 41% in that same poll, though the 2 percentage point difference was within the poll's 3 percentage point margin of error.

And Harris's approval ratings, while low, are a tick higher than Biden's.

But despite earning praise in the last few weeks for her strong defense of Biden, some Democrats remain concerned about Harris' shaky first two years in office, short-lived campaign for the 2020 Democratic nomination, and - perhaps most of all - the weight of a long history of racial and gender discrimination in the United States.

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