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Writer's pictureLeonardo Del Toro

Kamala, or Kalamity

The choice is yours: an open letter to undecided voters


Kamala Harris and Donald Trump

Imagine that you have worked all your life to build a company. Now, you are in charge of a large corporation demanding steady control and intelligent decision-making. You are about to step down and desperately need to hire a top manager. The moment is critical, and you don’t have much time. Any misstep in the hiring process could lead to disaster.


Only two people have applied for this job, and you only have a few moments to decide. 


Candidate number one is a 78-year-old male, a convicted criminal found guilty on 34 counts, with a history of sexual abuse, and found guilty of raping a woman in NYC. Also, his Entertainment Resorts' prior business has filed four times for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. It has a history of racism and white supremacy sympathizing.


He can only communicate effectively with fringe individuals, constantly maintaining a hatred towards all others who do not agree with him. Has a history of not listening to his advisers and claims he is the only one with access to the truth. He also does not have extended experience for the job he is being hired. Oh, and he refuses to undergo health evaluation, so you suspect this person is incontinent, as you notice the foul smell in the interviewing room.



Candidate number two is a 60-year-old female named Kamala Harris with a long list of accomplishments. She does have experience in the field she is being hired for, and you look at her resume. And this is what you see.



Legislative and Policy Leadership

  • Set a new record for the most tie-breaking Senate votes cast by a VP in history

  • Expanded the Child Tax Credit to cut child poverty in half

  • Provided $450 billion in relief to 6 million small businesses

  • Sponsored legislation to expand and strengthen Social Security

  • Led the push for the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act, federal worker unionization, and overtime pay for farm workers


Healthcare and Public Health

  • Led the White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis

  • Created the first-ever federal health and safety requirements for maternal emergency services in hospitals

  • Extended postpartum Medicaid coverage from 2 to 12 months to provide lifesaving coverage in 46 states

  • Connected 38,000 people to free 24/7 support with the new National Maternal Mental Health Hotline

  • Shut down scam healthcare websites

  • Sued drug companies for unlawful drug pricing and marketing tactics

  • Allowed Medicare to negotiate lower drug costs, expected to save taxpayers $6 billion

  • Capped the cost of insulin to $35/month for seniors

  • Voted against Trump’s budget cuts to Medicare and Medicaid


Reproductive Rights

  • Stood up for reproductive rights during Trump’s Supreme Court nominees’ confirmation hearings

  • Launched a national reproductive rights tour, becoming the first VP to visit a reproductive health clinic


Climate and Energy

  • Invested $370 billion to combat climate change and expand energy production


Economic Justice and Consumer Protection

  • Won $20 billion settlement for homeowners during the foreclosure crisis

  • Took on for-profit colleges that scammed Americans

  • Took on big corporations that took advantage of working people

  • Introduced a student loan forgiveness program for mental health professionals

  • Won settlements from companies that underpaid workers and violated labor laws

  • Announced administration’s plans to remove medical debt from credit reports

  • Protected seniors from fraud and abuse


Gun Violence Prevention

  • Oversees the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention

  • Stopped nearly 30,000 firearms sales to convicted domestic abusers

  • Closed the gun show loophole to ensure sellers conduct background checks

  • Led the fight to pass a red flag law

Global Leadership and Diplomacy

  • Strengthened global alliances by meeting with more than 150 world leaders

  • Kept Americans safe while serving on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence


Judiciary and Legal Leadership

  • Oversaw the country’s largest state justice department

  • Prosecuted transnational gangs, drug cartels, and human traffickers

  • Presided over the vote to confirm Justice Ketanji, Brown Jackson

  • Voted to confirm more women and people of color to make the judiciary look more like America

  • Officiated some of the nation’s first same-sex marriages



You look at these two candidates, and you think hard. Which candidate would you pick to be the head of your company? If you wanted to be safe and had little time to decide — which candidate would you pick?



 

Presidents usually don’t affect the economy as much as most people think. The economy does its thing regardless, and as long as we have a president who goes along with business as usual and tries to use common sense so that he doesn’t incur actions that would disturb or harm the economy's progress. 


However, the economy can swing downward if a president enacts draconian and nonsensical measures. Going downhill is way easier than keeping steady and even climbing. Tearing down a house is also easier than building a new one. 


The other problem is when you don't have a president at all. The presidency is all about being the bully pulpit. If all you do is spread lies and misinformation and spend the nation’s budget to attend to grievances while they serve a whole nation, that is the definition of a recipe for disaster.


Credits: The title of this piece was brilliantly crafted for me by my friend Guilherme Góes. No, I lied. I’ve stolen from him, but I’m sure he is OK with that.

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