Getty Kamala Harris is one of the co-favorites among Democrats to win the presidency in 2020.
On January 27 Kamala Harris took the stage in Oakland, California, at a massive rally to launch her campaign for the presidency in 2020. Harris touted her career as a prosecutor fighting for “the people” and pledged to “fight” for a better America. She outlined some of her key issues — equal pay, a stronger economy, police brutality, global security, and immigration reform. Harris also set out some loftier goals. The California senator said that she wanted to “reclaim” the American dream for every American and “restore” America’s moral leadership on the planet.
Harris added, “It’s not going to be easy.” Addressing an exuberant crowd, she said, “We know what the doubters will say. Tt’s not your time. Wait your turn. The odds are long.”
That’s when Harris started to reference Robert F Kennedy, the younger brother of President John F Kennedy who went on to run for president himself, before his tragic assassination. Harris quoted Robert Kennedy’s famous statement that “only those who dare to fail greatly can ever acheive greatly.” She added another of Robert Kennedy’s best-known lines: “These are not ordinary times. This is not an ordinary election. At stake…is our right to moral leadership of our planet.” You can watch footage of Robert F. Kennedy speaking here.
Robert Kennedy Spoke Those Words in 1968 When He Announced His Presidential Run
In 1968, Robert Kennedy became a long-shot candidacy for the Democratic nomination to the presidency. Kennedy announced his candidacy during a speech in Washington DC, saying that he felt that the country was on a “perilous” course and that he felt he had to run to try and introduce new, better policies. You can read the full text of Kennedy’s speech here.
Kennedy said that he was horrified by the Vietnam War and by what he called the growing threat of world war. He added that the country was suffering from extreme poverty and from deep racial divisions. “I do not run for the presidency merely to oppose any man but to propose new policies,” Kennedy said. “I run because I am convinced that this country is on a perilous course and because I have such strong feelings about what must be done, and I feel that I’m obliged to do all that I can.”
He concluded — as Kamala Harris did — “I do not lightly dismiss the dangers and the difficulties of challenging an incumbent President. But these are not ordinary times and this is not an ordinary election. At stake is not simply the leadership of our party and even our country. It is our right to moral leadership of this planet.”