OPINION: A burst of Democratic energy

Since Vice President Kamala Harris announced her candidacy for president, Democrats have seen a surge of energy and engagement — both nationally and locally. 

Idaho’s delegates to the Democratic Convention confirmed Harris as Idaho’s choice for president. This was a moving and organized experience that made me proud to be an American. Delegates from coast to coast feel similarly inspired and re-energized during this historic moment. 

One of the most powerful debaters in modern political history is ready to stand up and defend our Constitution and our freedoms. Women who have seen their rights slowly erode will get to vote for someone who reflects their hopes for the future. Democrats will make history as we elevate a daughter of immigrants to our nation’s highest office. 

Nationwide organizing calls have swelled to hundreds of thousands of people. Both Zoom and major donation platforms were forced to quickly expand capacity when increased traffic crashed their sites. In July, Harris raised $310 million — an eye-popping sum that was more than double what Trump raised that same month. 

As this momentum builds, we’re sensing a little nervousness among our Republican friends. This is understandable. When your opponent gains traction, it rattles the nerves. 

Their response has amounted to the same old birther narrative. We also saw a sickening influx of sexual-innuendo-laced memes peppering far-right social media. 

It’s a tired right-wing tactic: If you can’t beat them on the facts, dehumanize them to gain attention and distract voters from the real issues.

So, let’s be clear about a few facts. 

Vice President Harris is a U.S. citizen, who is eligible to be president of the United States. Harris was born in Oakland, Calif., on Oct. 20, 1964. If you’d like to see her birth certificate, it was published on Aug. 18, 2020, by the San Jose Mercury News. The birth certificate notes the birthplaces of her father and mother, respectively, as Jamaica and India.

The false claim that Harris is ineligible for the presidency stems from an Aug. 12, 2020, opinion article published in Newsweek. The article was updated two days after publication with an editor’s note apologizing for the article’s use as a tool to spread “birtherism” narratives. 

Our Constitution reads, “No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.” (Article II Section 1 Clause 5)

Harris checks the minimum qualification boxes, and so much more. 

Kamala Harris ranks among the most experienced and inspiring candidates in modern American history. Her background is a shining example of the American Dream coming to life. She is re-energizing the Democratic party.  

Despite her momentum, Harris likely won't win in Idaho. 

However, her historic candidacy offers us an opportunity to talk about issues that have been weighing on Idahoans minds. 

For too long Idahoans have watched as their rights slowly erode and the government intrudes further into their lives. Trump showed us who he was in 2016, and we should take him at his word. Someone who suggested “terminating” the Constitution should never have the chance to stand behind the seal of the president of the United States. 

Republicans want to pass laws about what books we can and cannot read. They have criminalized doctors for providing evidence-based care that doesn’t fit their Conservative agenda. They decimate our public schools in the name of “choice,” knowing full-well that vouchers won’t come close to covering the full cost of a private education. 

Idahoans, and all Americans, deserve better. That’s why Kamala Harris is creating so much momentum. We can’t wait for you to join the movement as we all work toward a More Perfect Union.

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Evan Koch is chairman of the Kootenai County Democrats.