Can Kamala Harris beat Donald Trump and win the White House? | 60 Minutes Australia

coming up next you are a disgrace does carela Harris have what it takes to lead the Free World we want to know the D meet the people who know her best was she a great love very much very much so edifying it was not the presidential debate between Donald Trump and Carmela Harris 5 days ago was big on Blaster but short on substance forget policy it seems hurling insults to malign your opponent is now the way to succeed in modern politics Donald Trump has certainly turned this skill into an art form but as we saw the vice president is also no mug at it for many observers though Carmela Harris still has a substantial problem she needs to do more to convince voters who she really is tonight we meet some of the people who know her best the contrast could hardly be more extreme a 78-year-old reality TV star former president and convicted criminal hoping to return to the Oval Office Camala you're fired get out of here you're fired which is Weir his opponent and polar opposite a 58-year-old woman of mixed race Who Rose from prosecutor to vice president I took on perpetrators of all kinds I know Donald Trump's tip tonight from her Suburban workingclass upbringing to the top of the ticket I accept your nomination to be president the United States of America who is the real Kamala Harris are you ready now Vice President and does she have what it takes to be president I can tell when she's trying to avoid a clear answer and the world can see it she's not answered the questions the public wants answered it was here less than four years ago that carela Harris made history when she was sworn in as the first black female Vice President of the United States by the nature of the job she's been in the shadows so a lot of Voters here still don't know much about her now she's in the fight of her political career a new chapter in a story that began far from the power and privilege of Washington DC on America's West Coast across the bay from San Francisco carela Harris's hometown of Berkeley is a vibrant Multicultural middle class City you'd be hardpressed to find anyone who's known the vice president longer than Carol Porter I met comma Harris at the bus stop in 19771 roughly we were going to first grade at Thousand Oak School they're still close to this day and Carol has fond memories of living just around the corner from carala who was raised by her single mother in this modest yellow home was there something special about her even then I've always thought kamla was uh very confident one thing I I've always remembered since I was little is that she really listened when people spoke she listened and I thought that she had courage I thought that she you know was not fearful of things of doing things or or being in charge of something or responsible for something she is a tough customer you know this is a tough tough Lady this is a tough lady journalist Dan morraine has covered Kamala Harris's career for more than three decades and wrote the first biography of the vice president he says her Berkeley upbringing shaped her sense of social justice and path to Public Service she's the daughter of immigrants her mother is from India and her father's from Jamaica so clearly that shapes her she's second generation like so many other Americans children of of immigrants and and so I think she she feels that to her core her mother becomes a PhD cancer researcher her father becomes a PhD economist you know so these are really high achieving people people with a keen interest in politics Carol recalls carela was an activist from a young age they went to protest with their mother they they went on the front lines we had tanks staged down the street from our house when we were growing up that were preparing for martial law because people were protesting the Vietnam War so we grew up in that environment it was no great surprise when carela Harris went off to law school before forging a reputation as a sharp tonged prosecutor in San Francisco where she caught the eye of Willie Brown she was a uh brilliant gorgeous woman she had a reputation back then for being tough very tough not just tough but very tough and always overprepared Willie was mayor of San Francisco for 8 years from The Late '90s and a king maker for the Democrats but to a young carela Harris he was much more than just a political Mentor you dated for a time do you reflect fondly on that relationship I do I do she was uh more than a date far more than a date was she a great love very much very much so he was 60 at the time and still married carela was 29 and her political career skyrocketed under his influence Willie says he knew right away that carela Harris was destined to go far beyond California courtrooms what comes to mind about the way she operates under pressure she would never know she's under pressure she will not demonstrate being unable to be responsive with a quality explanation she also has the ability to quickly uh make you smile in the process and what you don't know is I suspect she's playing in your demise as she smiles is that right and that's a good quality for a quality politician well you have to be a killer don't you well that term I won't use but the results reflect that a killer has been there now 90 and still as sharp as attack Willie brushes off the controversy surrounding their affairs she at all times during the time that I spent uh with her she was incredibly sensitive uh and responsive and Karen that it was amazing to watch her she literally evidence the sensitivity for others that I didn't have and still don't don't have carela Harris went on to become the first black female district attorney of San Francisco then California's first black female attorney general before landing her first job in Washington DC as a US senator in 2017 Dan morraine interviewed her many times over those years and saw her ambition pay off whether you support her or not she's a good politician you know she could be in a room she'd come in with a big her big smile and um and her laugh Belly Laugh she looks at you in the eye and she's not looking over your shoulder to see who the next person is she should go talk to she she's very engaging um and she's really smart right Donald Trump called her dumb as a rock I mean you can say a lot of things about KL Harris dumb is not one but her vice presidency has been plagued by communication failures claims of poor leadership and bullying as you'll see carela Harris's path to Victory is fraught with obstacles and far from Sur you cannot call this election it's simply impossible it is a show comeo Harris up good debate see you have fun thank you she's going to My Philosophy now in fact I was going to send her a Maga hat and what you will also notice is that people start leaving his rallies early there are plenty of serious issues impacting Americans but for their presidential candidates there is no middle ground say is I read where she was not black that she put out and I'll say that and then I read that she was black the freedom to make decisions about one's own body should not be made by the government it's a brutal battle at times completely ridiculous in Springfield they're eating the dogs the people that came in they're eating the cats remember the first time carela Harris ran for president in 2019 she failed miserably dropping out of the race early this time with President Joe Biden and the Democratic party firmly behind her she's on a role what you think is a friendship with what is known to be a dictator who would eat you for lunch but history shows former president Donald Trump is not to be underestimated you cannot call this election it's simply impossible leading us pollster and political strategist Frank Lance has never seen a contest like this where do the polls stand right now how tight is it Harris has got a small lead but but it is so small and on the key swing States 1 or 2% on either side it is the closest election that I've seen it's even closer than 2016 until just a few months ago carela Harris was one of the least popular politicians in America widely criticized for being a poor Communicator talking about the significance of the passage of time right the significance of the passage of time so when you think about it there is great significance to the passage of time we got to take this stuff seriously as seriously as you are because you have been forced to have to take it seriously it is time for us to do what we have been doing and that time is every day Frank studies voter perceptions and says the vice president has struggled to connect with everyday Americans well part of it is a word salad she can't land the plane she's going she's circling around around and doesn't quite get to it I can tell when she's trying to avoid a clear answer and the world can see it but in the end she's not Donald Trump and in the end that not being Donald Trump may just be enough for her to win as vice president her record is largely underwhelming she's responsible for the Biden administration's failure to control record numbers of immigrants crossing the southern border we've been to the Border you haven't been to the Border I and I haven't been to Europe and I don't I don't understand the point that you're making and since her last presidential campaign in 2019 she's changed her position on a Key Energy policy fracking she's been a national figure now for 5 years and she still hasn't shown who she really is and she still hasn't shown the details the public wants to know know that she says what she means means what she says and then does what she says and there are still significant question marks does Kamala Harris have an identity crisis I'm very careful when I use the word crisis because everything in America is a crisis that said she's not answered the questions the public wants answered she's not explained exactly what she will do meantime inside the White House her reputation is mixed with some Anonymous former staffers calling vice president Harris a bully but others have different Recollections she was a terrific boss and I will tell you we knew that every day when we were working for kamla Harris it was a time that was both incredibly historic but also extremely humbling Nancy Mel dowy was National Security adviser to vice president Harris from day one of the administration until early 2022 they work together on domestic and foreign policy Kamala Harris has been described as a bully with soul destroying management style by some former staff did you see anything of that uh I did not how tough was she I I wouldn't use the word tough I would say that she set high standards for herself and for everyone else and then she helped us meet them if there was something that she didn't like she was clear about it I've heard all the attacks on her that she wasn't in any of the important meetings that her staff was excluded that her staff kept quitting after six or nine months that she hasn't been a good boss none of that matters voters don't vote on that they vote on their relationship with the candidates not the candidates relationship to their staff for her all that matters does she understand the challenges facing paycheck to paycheck voters it's those workingclass Americans in just seven swing States who will decide this election Frank Lun runs focus groups regularly sitting down with undecided voters in the end there's 6% who are undecided they're going to determine this election and it's only 6% in seven states if you do the math it actually means 1% of America is going to determine the votes the outcome for the other 330 million can she win those Working Class People Back In Those key swing States yes but you have to address them directly you have to do what I'm doing right now is to look straight into the camera and appeal to them and say I get it I hear you I feel it and I'm this is exactly what I'm going to do on day one on day 10 on day 100 on day 1,000 and in fact the most powerful question that she hopes is not asked are you better off today than you were four years ago because the answer for a majority of Americans and a clear majority of undecided voters is a resounding no whoever moves in here next will certainly have their work cut out for them at home and overseas with war in Europe and the Middle East and tensions in the Indo Pacific carela Harris came to the White House with pretty limited experience in foreign policy so dealing with global issues and world leaders will be a real test for her she'll be so easy for them she'll be like a play toy they look at her and they say we can't believe we got so lucky White House Insider Nancy mckel dowy insists her boss was extremely involved in foreign policy a play thing or timid is not those are not words that ever belong in a sentence with kamla Harris she goes into the meetings well prepared knowing what we want out of the meeting but also having very thoroughly looked into their perspective what it is that world leaders are bringing to Any Given meeting because she very much believes that in order to reach an agreement you have to have an inclusive approach you have to understand the other person's perspective while domestic issues like the economy immigration and abortion are front of mind for voters Frank Lance says foreign policy still matters is the candidate likely to get the country into a war that may not show up in the polling in terms of terrorism or foreign policy or the specifics which is China Middle East and Russia Ukraine but if the public comes to perceive that this candidate is reckless or uninformed they will vote against them so she's shown to be a lightweight she'll have a really tough time overcoming Donald Trump has she shown herself to be a lightweight Republicans claim she's a lightweight the polling doesn't confirm that Republicans claim that she is uninformed and uninvolved the polling does confirm that in the end it only matters if we have a crisis but boy does it matter if we have a crisis one thing's for sure at this point she can't afford to put a foot wrong coming up those who know her best on what makes carela Harris TI what did you guys get up to in your 20s uh we want to know the dirt oh a fried chicken restaurant might seem an unlikely place to uncover the secrets of a presidential candidate all right how you doing how are you welcome welcome thanks for coming this is it yes welcome to the home but if there's one thing carela Harris cherishes as much as her lifelong friendships it's comfort food and I'm being treated to her favorite dish D oh my goodness it's the vp's favorite the thighs yams the greens looks amazing the food is delicious but it's not the real reason the vice president of the United States likes to swing her motorcade past the home of chicken and waffles in Oakland California her dear friend Derek Johnson run this place he's known carela for more than 40 years the same person I met when I was 16 in my little mg sports car laughing and having a good time is the same person that's about to be hopefully the next president of the United States I mean words can't even you know with somebody that you've hung out with your teenage years your 20s I mean you don't just think growing up oh yeah my friend's going to be you know the president of the United States it's a pretty big deal yes it's a huge deal um it's the Numero Uno position in the world from kamala's teenage years to inauguration Derek has been there through it all we're from Australia so you can tell us the dirt we won't tell anyone you're from Australia we want to know the do I mean we're social we're very social we we we we we we hung out concerts uh clubs yeah I was the major social so I'd probably pull her to more things than she P me to not a heavy drinker no not I mean seriously that would be that would have been me in the 20s so she was always the designated driver she was a sensible one yes always always level-headed um you know she was always like the one nudging like okay now you know it's time to go I'm like no it's not we still have a couple more hours while he's cautious not to give away too much about a young Carefree carela Derek is very clear when it comes to why he thinks his friend could run the country far better than Donald Trump she will listen and I think that's what's very important is to listen as human beings right I don't know everything about your life you don't know everything about my life I don't know what you've gone through cuz I'm not you right but I can listen to it and get some understanding and probably through my life experiences relate to what you're going through and help make decisions as a leader to improve whatever the situation that you're trying to change it's one of the most important skills of leadership really and she has that hands down these days their catch-ups look very different last month Derek was the vp's guest at the Democratic National Convention walking into the convention and he's already preparing for president Harris's first day in the White House I want to bring chicken and waffles to the inauguration that'll be a big hit hey that's we will handle it I'll bring I'll bring a old staff I'll reach back to all employees like come on come on back I need everybody for this one you need a lot of waffle IR for that one yes yes yes yes we'll be ready but there's one hell of a race to win first first of all it's important to remind the former president you're not running against Joe Biden you're running against me carela Harris will have to pull out all the stops to overcome the Maga movement and take down Donald Trump pster Frank Lance isn't convinced she can do it and he has a d warning for us all about the decline of decency and democracy the American democracy is under severe attack and its credibility is at an all-time low we are at a Breaking Point and it's never been this way we survived Watergate we've survived assassinations we've survived uh double digit inflation we've survived the Vietnam War corruption this is different you're telling me Frank that democracy is in danger yes I am and I'm saying this because I don't want your country and your people to pursue the same kind of politics that we have yall are watching America and you're wondering have we lost it I'm embarrassed about it I'm ashamed because we all know how we behave to each other it is a show and it's our show and I just wish we could do something about it but I'm not optimistic you're not only embarrassed and ashamed you're scared it's why I speak the way I do it's why I did this interview it's a wakeup call I don't mind them fighting over how best to educate someone I don't mind them fighting over how best to house the homeless or to feed the hungry but when you're trying to demonize someone for their race when you're trying to criticize someone for an attack that you know will divide the country by gender by age by ethnicity and it's irreparable that's evil and that feels like American democracy in 2024 it's difficult to hear and underlines the incredible responsibility weighing upon the American people they have just 51 days to decide who is the best candidate or who will do the least damage to an already fragile powder Kake for Carol Porter though there's no comparison that was Last Christmas I was at kamla's and Doug's uh house the vice president's childhood best friend is convinced America is ready for real change and that the girl from this modest Berkeley neighborhood is poised to make history once more is this the American dream it may be a dream for some but it's definitely an American story and it's a story of courage and it's a story of love and it's a story of fighting for what's right this is the perfect perfect moment for her hello I'm Amelia Adams thanks for watching 60 Minutes Australia subscribe to our Channel now for brand new stories and exclusive Clips every week and don't miss out on our extra 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