The Kamala Harris nomination evokes memories of the Soviet Union
Vice President Kamala Harris was officially nominated as the Democratic candidate for US president at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last week. The event was filled with celebration, including a live concert and dance party featuring rapper Lil Jon, marking a carefully planned process unlike any seen before in American politics.
President Joe Biden was removed from the race and replaced by Harris to run against GOP nominee Donald Trump during the convention. Harris, securing 99% of the delegates’ votes and hundreds of millions of campaign dollars originally intended for Biden, was the sole candidate on the Democratic ballot. As an immigrant from Soviet Russia, Harris’ nomination brings back memories of the lack of transparency and real electoral choices in the country I left behind. In the USSR, leadership succession was decided by high-ranking officials without real elections or public involvement, much like what appears to have occurred at the DNC Convention.
The election process in the USSR had no real campaigns, party platforms, or debates. There was only one candidate on the ballot, representing both the Communist Party and non-party members. Citizens were encouraged or obligated to vote, with those failing labeled as “anti-Soviet.” These elections, with a near 99% voting turnout, were described as “democratic.”
The current Democratic process mirrors this Soviet playbook, with restrictions on other candidates and a lack of voter involvement in the selection of Harris as the Democratic nominee. The DNC Convention, reminiscent of Soviet political rallies, highlighted Harris’ anti-capitalist sentiments and similarities to Soviet governing styles.
Speculations around Biden’s unexpected departure from the race and Harris’ sudden rise to the forefront raise concerns about the similarities to Soviet-style electioneering. In 1999, Yeltsin’s resignation to Putin handing him power echoes the abrupt changes seen with Biden-Harris to a point where one can draw comparisons to Soviet political tactics.
The DNC Convention and the language used by Democratic leaders seem to push a narrative similar to Soviet propaganda, contrasting DNC “joy” with GOP “anger” while echoing accusations of chaos and authoritarianism, despite the growing disillusionment with the current administration. The movement toward centralized power and lack of real electoral opposition raise suspicions of a move toward totalitarian ideals within the American political landscape.
The DNC Convention’s resemblance to Soviet-style congresses and the lack of transparency and real choice in the nomination process raise concerns about the trajectory of American politics. The echoes of Stalin-like tactics and show elections draw parallels to other nations such as Iran and Venezuela, raising questions about the future of democracy in the country.
Rebekah Koffler is a writer and a former DIA intelligence officer. She is the author of Putin’s Playbook; Regnery 2021 and the forthcoming American Bolsheviks: The Persecution of Donald Trump and the Sovietization of America from Post Hill Press. Twitter: @rebekah0132
