Kamala Harris upbeat on White House win with Pakistani-US community support

Despite the odds, US Vice President Kamala Harris has expressed confidence that incumbent President Joe Biden will be re-elected to office. However, she admitted that the path would not be easy.

Kamala Harris was speaking at a fundraising event held at the house of renowned Pakistani-American physician and philanthropist Dr Asif Mahmood in Bradbury, California, where Pakistan's question was also raised.

It was probably the first time in US history that such a political event of a sitting vice president was held at the house of a Pakistani-American Democrat. The fundraiser was co-hosted by a Pakistani business tycoon, Tanweer Ahmed, who enjoys good ties with top Democrats as well as Republicans.

Almost 50 people were invited to the event, and each contributed significantly to the “Biden Victory Fund”. The seating arrangement was at the poolside, and the guests were served traditional Pakistani cuisine. After all, Harris too has an Indian background. In her remarks, the vice president lauded the services of Dr Mahmood for his unflinching support during her political journey.

“I want to thank my friend Dr Asif Mahmood. You have been supporting me for at least 15 years, and I am always so enthusiastic about your support. I want to thank him for all he has done for me,” the vice president said to loud applause.

She dedicated almost three minutes of her 12-minute speech to appreciating Dr Mahmood and reminded the audience, “I think it is the third time (as vice president) I have been to his house.” Harris mentioned that on previous occasions, she had addressed from a different part of the backyard. Her podium was placed in the shade as the sun was still shining at 6:30pm.

The event was organised a day before the first Biden-Trump debate, and some participants were sceptical about Biden’s performance against the so-called “bully former president”. “We are going to win. It’s not going to be easy, but we are going to win,” assured Kamala Harris. Emphasising the importance of the vote, she went on to say, “In this election, we will determine what kind of country we want and make a statement about who we are as a country.”

Four years ago, Americans made the statement that they don’t approve of Trump anymore. This time, the world is wondering if they seek four more years of Biden. In the last year, some Democrats have distanced themselves from the party over its support of Israel's war against Palestine. However, when it comes to Israel, Donald Trump is no different.

“We all know what our country represents. Flawed as it may be, imperfect as we may be. And when we think about the significance of this election and what is at stake, the impact and outcome of this election will affect the American people and people around the world,” the vice president explained without naming any particular global issue.

Most polls show that Trump has a fair chance of winning the White House. The question is, can Biden-Harris ensure that all the disgruntled voters cast their votes in favour? The vice president knew well that most Pakistani-Americans don’t show up at polling stations.

“I hope everyone must understand the power of their vote and that their vote is an extension of their voice in weighing in on what kind of country we want to live in,” she stressed. Moving on, she highlighted the steps Biden has taken to “uplift the middle class.”

There is no doubt that when it comes to voting, American voters put the economy above everything. According to Forbes, the economy performed better under Trump. However, Biden has also taken some measures to please voters.

“On one hand, there is our president, who spends his full time thinking about the American people and how to uplift their condition, uplift their circumstances, uplift their quality of life. He is doing that by thinking about how to create jobs and how to build the middle class. On the other hand, you have the former president who cares only about himself and seeks personal gains.”

If re-elected, Trump has vowed to use the National Guard to deport millions of migrants. Earlier, he stigmatised them as “invaders”, blamed them for “poisoning the blood of the country”, and committing crimes as “animals”. There is no doubt that the immigrant community in America is stunned to witness a “white wave” fuelled by some of Trump’s statements. Probably, with that in mind, Harris built up her case.

“The fundamental thing is freedom and liberty. We are talking about freedom from hate and bigotry in a world where these extremists are intentionally trying to divide our country by spewing hate.”

After her speech, Harris chatted with some of the guests in the adjacent living room.

Pakistani-American business tycoon Tanweer Ahmed told me that at that moment, he raised Pakistan's question. After briefly narrating his love for the country of his birth and how the United States has transformed his life, Ahmed expressed his displeasure about the state of Pak-US relations.

“I would like to state my disquiet upfront, which is that Pakistan is not perceived well in the United States. The US and Pakistan have a long history together, which has had its ups and downs. It is a paradox that both countries have done so much for each other. Yet there is more misperception and mistrust,” lamented Ahmed.

“The US continues to see Pakistan from a narrow lens of counter-terrorism and security. My feeling is that Pakistan has always been blamed and not heard; rather, many other voices shape the opinion about Pakistan. For instance, even the USIP’s Senior Study Group on Afghanistan advocates the revival of counter-terrorism cooperation between the US and Pakistan to stem the tide of terrorist groups residing in Afghanistan. However, it also says that Pakistan should prevent a terrorist attack on India, which is presumptuous and even discouraging for a country that continues to bleed daily due to terror attacks,” he continued.

In the same breath, Ahmed said, “It is even more concerning that the Indian campaign of state-sponsored extrajudicial killing on British, Canadian, American, and Pakistani soil is ignored by the media, although the US government has done its part. So it gives me reason to believe that it is an issue of perception and not policy.”

And then he asked the question, “How can we change the perception of Pakistan in the US? And as I stated earlier, how can we create positivity and enduring trust between my two homelands?”

So, what did she answer?

Ahmed said, “She was very anxious to know a little bit more about it. She put me in touch with her chief of staff by saying that let’s exchange information.”

“She was very loud and clear in saying that she was glad that I raised all those points and that those were very valid and concerning points. She stressed that we need to stay in touch. And she appreciated me for bringing these issues up.”

The fundraiser lasted an hour as Kamala Harris had to attend six more events. A helicopter kept flying around the area, and security personnel laid guard to the gated community from all sides. However, locals were allowed to drive freely. All the guests were invited at 5pm sharp. However, due to nightmarish traffic, I reached Bradbury Mansion at 5:40pm

Hardly any neighbours knew that the vice president was addressing next door. I asked a passerby lady if she knew what was going on.

“Seems they’re shooting a Hollywood movie!” she told me with some certainty. I told her that Kamala Harris was here a little while ago. With eyes wide open, she could only say, “Wow.”

On my way back to the airport, I asked my African-American taxi driver if he saw any chance of Biden reclaiming the White House on November 5.

“If I look at my pocket, I will vote for Trump. But, if I look at my family and our future, I’ll vote for Biden. So, it’s fifty-fifty.”

This answer says it all. When it comes to the election, the most important thing is the economy. Harris may be right to say, “We’ll win.” But if some of the immigrant community is also undecided about Biden, then it surely means that the path to the White House is going to be very rough.