I’ve covered Kamala Harris for 20 years. One thing about her has never changed.

Julian Zelizer : Kamala Harris was San Francisco's top law enforcement official in 2007 .

He says she tried to persuade ex-offenders to find time in their lives for a little self-care.

The 2024 election feels like a second chance, if not the last chance, for the nation, a back-on-track moment.

Julian Zelizer : If she wins, pundits will point to the innumerable GOP mistakes if she wins.

He says Harris has been a revelation since President Joe Biden bowed out of the race in July .

Zelizer says empathy can be a double-edged sword for women politicians, making them seem "soft" and "weak".

Julian Zelizer : If she wins, it will be because she has been able to convince millions of people who hardly knew anything about her.

He says she has offered a full-throated defense of reproductive freedom the likes of a sitting vice president or a presidential candidate.

Zelizer says she's been exceptional in her attacks on Trump and his allies overturning Roe v. Wade .