Should We Vote For Kamala Harris?

Focusing on "yes" or "no" misses the point, argues Luke Pickrell

I was asked by a friend to help come up with talking points for an upcoming debate on whether progressives in his community should vote for Kamala Harris in the upcoming election. The left's debate during election season often divides into two camps: one advocates for voting for the Democratic Party as the lesser of two evils, while the other suggests not voting for the Democratic Party and instead working on building an independent, often explicitly socialist alternative. It's like a continuous cycle of yes or no, no or yes. This repetitive back-and-forth misses the point: the left should be discussing the importance of a democratic constitution.

At the end of the day, people will vote for whoever they want and will justify their decision in a million different ways. If someone votes for the Democratic Party, so be it; I don’t fault them for not wanting a second Trump term. The question, "If I don't vote for Harris, what else am I supposed to do?" isn't illogical. But if telling people to abstain is a non-starter, what's a critic of the two-party duopoly to do? I have no magic answer. However, talking about the Constitution can't hurt.

The Democrats don’t want a second Trump presidency. Well, Trump came to power in 2016 through the Electoral College. Why isn’t Harris talking about that undemocratic institution? The Democrats say they want police reform and are pushing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act after Sonya Massey’s murder. Why doesn’t Harris point out that the bill has a snowball’s chance in Hell of getting through Congress? The Democrats say they support women and contraception rights. Great! Instead of blaming Republicans, Harris should say something about the political system that allows legislation like the Right to Contraception Act to get 51 votes in favor versus 39 votes against and still not become law.

If the Democrats truly wanted to improve the lives of children living in poverty, protect the environment, support veterans, reduce police power, and uphold abortion rights, they should address issues such as the Electoral College, the Senate, and the Supreme Court, which can perpetuate minority rule and hinder equal voting rights. They should also speak out against the filibuster, the first-past-the-post electoral system, gerrymandering, and the challenges involved in amending the Constitution. By addressing these issues, they could work towards a democratic constitution and help alleviate the anger and dissatisfaction that have fueled the rise of Trump and the far-right. However, there has been no mention of these topics.

If someone chooses to vote for Harris, I hope they do so with an awareness that Harris is a strong supporter of the Constitution, which is the reason for many of the problems progressives want to address. There's no quick fix for the problems caused by the U.S. ruling class, and the only real solution is democracy. Unfortunately, both the Democratic and Republican parties oppose democracy. Time and resources are limited for the left. Whether or not you vote for Harris isn't the main point. Regardless of the outcome in November, it's important to keep discussing the need for a democratic constitution.