Democrats Are on the Rise, but Kamala Harris Faces New Hurdles

The Democratic Party has transformed from a political party led by Joe Biden, a man with decades of service coming to the end of his career, a man who is bringing young, dynamic stars to the stage, said Vanity Fair Chief Editor Who is Radhika Jones? “You see it in the style; you hear it in the voices; you hear it in a variety of contexts.” The message, she said, was clear: “This is a party with a future. And I think that’s not necessarily something you can take for granted in a political party. I don’t think the Republican Party can take that for granted.”

Jones and FOR EXAMPLE Contributing editor Ta-Nehisi Coates, who was in Chicago this week, joined the latest episode of Inside the hive and discusses the Democratic choreography at the convention and the limits of the big tent the party has built as a pro-democracy coalition. Coates reported on the conflict At the DNC this week, no Palestinian Americans were allowed on stage, and delegates were not yet committed to rallying around the United Center, calling for a ceasefire, an end to the war in Gaza, and an arms embargo on Israel. “There is a contradiction at the heart of this convention right now, and that contradiction is, simply put, you have a candidate at the top of the ticket whose success is only possible because of the failure of apartheid in America,” Coates said. “At the same time, part of the administration supports what I think—and I will take my stand again—can fairly be called apartheid.”

The two also talked about the significance of Harris leading a major party ticket and what it means for the future. Coates said he couldn’t imagine another presidential cycle without a serious candidate who wasn’t white and probably wasn’t male. “The consequences of a loss for the country would be potentially historic as well,” Jones said. “And so the pressure on her is incredible, I think. And it’s hard to be the first, and that’s what she is. And that’s what she’s going to be.”