I'll readily admit that upon first learning that Kamala Harris would likely replace Joe Biden in this year's presidential race, I was somewhat dismayed. The history of vice-presidents going for the highest office in the U.S. after their presidents decided not to run for a second term is inauspicious. Adlai Stevenson, Harry Truman's VP, lost to Dwight Eisenhower, and Hubert Humphrey, Lyndon Johnson's VP, lost to Richard Nixon.
However, I had a quick change of heart based on two things: the strength and confidence evident in Harriss's appearances as her party's presidential candidate, and the fact that the man and the party she is running against can be counted on to drive people away from their cause. They just won't be able to help themselves.
If you watched the short video I posted yesterday, you will see a woman projecting strength, a strength leavened by an almost impish quality as she talks about knowing Don Trump's type from her years as a prosecutor. It was a performance, in my view, designed to cut him down to the small size he really is. And, of course, there are few things that Don can stand less than being laughed at and ridiculed. Combined with all the facts she will have at her disposal, Harriss will make a very formidable opponent.
Which leads me to my second point: Neither Trump nor his many enablers and Kool-Aid drinkers will be able to remain calm and rational in the threat she poses for them. First of all, she is a woman, and we know that misogyny is bred in the bone when it comes to Don and many of his disciples. Secondly, she is a woman of colour, a fact that has already unleashed a torrent of racist abuse from those who occupy the darker corners of the internet.
Heidi Beirich, an expert on American far-right extremism and a co-founder of Gpahe, said: “Female politicians have been targeted with misogynistic language for years, and usually they are the recipients of far more hate and sexism than male candidates face.”
“Attacks on Harris for her racial background are skyrocketing online,” added Beirich, who gave testimony to the House select committee to investigate the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. “As bad as the racism targeting her is, the misogyny seems worse.
“She’s being attacked for supposedly sleeping her way to the top and with horrible sexist slurs. Sadly, this is how it goes nowadays, with racism and hate so prevalent online.”
Heather Mallick ponders the situation, quoting J.D Vance, Don's running mate:
“We are effectively run in this country … by a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made, and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too. And it’s just a basic fact if you look at Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, AOC — the entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children.”
The above represents just a small sampling of the kind of desperate nonsense being spewed, and obviously, the attacks will sharpen and increase as the campaign progresses. But as I said earlier, the Republicans just can't help themselves, and while such attacks may strengthen the resolve of their base, they will do nothing to bring new voters into the Republican fold. Indeed, they will inevitably drive away those voters who are undecided, sending them right into Kamala's camp, including people without children and childless cat ladies. As well, both those attacks and the candidacy of an intelligent and biracial woman will see far less Democrats sitting out this election and an increase in new voter registrations.
It can be no surprise that racist and misogynistic impulses amongst the mentally, morally and intellectually unfit will continue and grow. The question for the rest of America to ask themselves, however, is whether they want to be part of that increasingly sorry and desperate lot.
