Obama 2.0? Harris' presidential campaign draws inevitable comparison

Their parallels include a short runway in national politics before seeking the top job

- Bhagyashree Garekar

In the nearly four weeks since Ms Kamala Harris became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, she has generated outsized enthusiasm.

Merely by setting foot on the stage, she has gladdened the hearts of Democrats who had feared for months that they would lose the election because of US President Joe Biden's plunging popularity.

Her lead over Republican rival Donald Trump in opinion polls since then has held steady and spilt into key swing states.

Vice-President Harris has swept up a substantial number of "double haters" - those voters who supported neither Trump nor Mr Biden.

Her campaign ended July with an eye-popping US$310 million (S$408 million) in donations, outraising Trump, who netted a more modest US$138.7 million.

Thanks to her overflowing kitty, Ms Harris is also far outspending him in advertisements.

Next week, she will be officially nominated to the presidential ticket at a star-studded show in Chicago.

A total of US$94 million has been raised for the Democratic National Convention (DNC) from Aug 19 to 22, which is US$10 million more than funds raised for the mid-July Republican convention in Milwaukee.

Trump, who keeps score on the size of crowds and the number of celebrity attendees, will be watching carefully.

The opening night of the DNC will feature speeches by Mr Biden and Mrs Hillary Clinton.

While Mr Biden's decision on July 21 to quit the race made Ms Harris' rise possible, former secretary of state Clinton lost to Trump in 2016, failing in her bid to become the first female president.

Two former Democratic presidents, Mr Barack Obama and Mr Bill Clinton, will also take the stage before Ms Harris' ceremonial acceptance speech on Aug 22.

And fans are hoping that America's biggest pop icons Beyonce and Taylor Swift - will make a special appearance.

But the spotlight will remain on the Democratic nominee when she makes her case to the nation.