Commentary
OPINION: On Jan. 6, Kamala Harris Restored Faith in Our Democracy
Only former Vice President Al “Hanging Chads” Gore knows how it feels to lose the way Harris did and then have to maintain a sense of grace for the good of our country. This week, Kamala did it with dignity, and aplomb — and mindfully.
By Emil Guillermo
Watching Kamala Harris on Jan. 6, it was clear that she has the temperament and demeanor to be the leader of the free world — if she ever gets that chance again.
On Monday, Harris became one of the few vice presidents to lose a presidential campaign and then officially certify the election she lost.
When lesser things have been on the line, I confess, I have not been as cool.
Her challenge was to stay calm, cool. Emphasis on cool. She was not whitewashing the truth. She was playing by the rules.
Only former Vice President Al “Hanging Chads” Gore knows how it feels to lose the way Harris did and then have to maintain a sense of grace for the good of our country.
This week, Kamala did it with dignity, and aplomb — and mindfully.
You don’t get angry and lash out. You don’t do anything but think of the American people and hold on to the tenets of the Constitution.
Certainly, watching Kamala made me feel better than I did on Jan. 7, 2021.
That’s the day after the Jan. 6 insurrection, a day we wondered what the heck happened to our democracy when a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol demanding that their guy, Trump, be declared the winner.
Even though he lost.
I hope you were watching the certification on TV this week. It was for all Americans to see how democracy within a civil society is meant to work.
We don’t have to agree on everything. But we do have to get along. And adhere to the Constitution.
It would be a shame if only news nerds caught the proceedings. The fact is: the certification is a ceremony for all of us.
We get to observe the “electoral college” for the day, to understand the subtext of last November’s popular vote, where Trump got just 49.8% of the vote. Not a majority.
Harris and others got just 50%. That essentially makes America a coin flip country.
But thanks to the electoral college, small states diminish the vote of bigger states like California. It’s not the fairest way. But it’s in the Constitution.
This week, Jan. 6 was a day for democracy. We saw the peaceful transition of power. That sense of our Constitution, tarnished four years ago, was restored.
America showed the world how it’s done.
It is tough for some of us to take, but that’s the process. The campaign, the vote, the count, the certification.
And if you don’t like it, the next election is in two years, the midterms. Start working.
How do we proceed?
We act like Kamala. She showed her love of country and her worthiness to be our leader, as she certified the vote on Jan. 6.
Her day will come again soon.
About the Author
Emil Guillermo is a journalist and commentator. He was the first Filipino American to host a national news show in 1989 at NPR’s “All Things Considered.” See his Emil Amok’s Takeout on www.patreon.com/emilamok. And subscribe to his channel on YouTube.com/@emilamok1
