"Hey, guys, you know what?" Sen. Kamala Harris interjected as her opponents in the first 2020 Democratic primary debate squabbled with one another, "America doesn't want to witness a food fight. They want to know how we're going to put food on their table!" The crowd in Miami's Arsht Center erupted in applause, and even the targets of her zinger had to acknowledge her handiwork. Joe Biden, standing a few feet away with a half-smile on his face, turned to Harris and immediately applauded her, like Novak Djokovic clapping hand-to-racket in recognition of an opponent's brilliant passing shot. I wasn't on the debate stage with Harris that night — the large size of the Democratic field necessitated two split-roster primary debates — but her command of the moment impressed me, too. "She really gets it," I remember telling a friend as we watched the broadcast. "She's not getting caught up in what's happening onstage. She's keeping her eye on what the voters at home really care about." This is a preview of Julián Castro's latest article. Read the full column here. |
