Dammit. Just Dammit. While I have not officially endorsed a Democratic candidate for president in 2020 yet, but I sure had favorites. And Kamala Harris was one of those favorites. And dammit if I’m not bereft that now I won’t get to make my own decision, because she has had to drop out of the race.
Look, I like Kamala for more reasons than just that she is the living embodiment of Straight Bette Porter. And that she is a snappy dresser. But because she’s a strong, uncompromising leader who does not mince words and speaks with a moral clarity the world could use a whole lot more of right now.
People will say her campaign never truly caught on. But the truth is as a black woman with mixed-race background and – again – a black woman, she had so many obstacles to overcome to even make it to the same stage as her largely white and male counterparts. Because, kittens, misogynoir is real. The additional hurdles to being taken seriously, raising money, getting volunteers, attracting the fickle attentions of the national media, etc. etc. etc.
Still there she was, doing so well. So well in fact that it shocked, shocked, some DC and political press when she came out guns blazing in the first debate. But then, after that initial hubbub, then the national press was on to The Next Big (Preferably White and Male) Thing. Look, don’t get me wrong. I am totally Vote Blue No Matter Who-ing in 2020*. But this isn’t 2020, this is the primary. And, without taking any gratuitous kill shots, it’s fine to disagree at this stage.
So let’s speak truth. The difference between the female candidate’s treatment by the press and the male candidate’s treatment is impossible to ignore. It’s that old, unfortunately incredibly true adage that men are judged on their potential, women on their past performance.
A woman like Kamala gets picked apart and dismissed in part because she has a long, storied career in politics. And, as a black woman, people are quick to believe the worst of her instead of imagining the best. But a man like Pete Buttigieg, who has never even won a statewide election and won his last local city election with 8,515 votes total, is somehow a visionary for the party? By contrast Kamala has never received fewer than 114,000 total votes in any of her city, state or federal elections. In case you were wondering, the total population of South Bend? 107,000 people. Total. Meanwhile Kamala won her senate seat with 5,265,653 votes.
Here’s the thing. Our political system, and really our whole damn country, is at a crossroads. Either we have an electoral system that represents the people, or we have an electoral system that allows the wealthiest to buy power and the minority to rule the majority. I mean, Hillary won by 3 million votes but here we fucking are.
How are billionaires like Tom Steyer and Mike Bloomberg still in this race buy Kamala Harris and Kirsten Gillibrand are out?
It’s maddening, made terrifying because of the prospect of another four years of that orange monster.
I don’t know how 2020 will play out. But I know, no matter what, we’re better having had Kamala in this fight. And I have no doubt that she will continue to fight. I guess the only consolation we have is that in a few days we’ll have Gay Bette Porter back. And, you know, it’s not like Kamala is going anywhere. That’s my Senator, after all.
Don’t worry, Mr. President. I’ll see you at your trial. https://t.co/iiS17NY4Ry
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) December 3, 2019
*Again, not Tulsi. She’s a republican and a perhaps unwitting, perhaps not useful idiot for the Russians**.
** Seriously, one Tulsi stan, we get it. Stop coming here if you want me to write nice things about her, because she doesn’t deserve it.
Thank god she is out. Do you have any clue as to her track record? Or do you base all your political opinions on race and gender? She is truly awful and was a monster as ca.'s AG. Corporate shill who would do anything, anything, to please her masters.
ReplyDeleteAs far as tulsi. Honestly, if all you can do is parrot the corporate press with absolutely ZERO substance to back any of your ridiculous claims then just stop.your embarrassing yourself. To suggest she is a Russian asset is so painfully ignorant it hurts. And I don't think you have a firm grasp on politics anyhow, seem more comcerned with gender than actual issues, as tulsi is an actual democrat, not some centrist sell out. The democrats have been centrists for a long time. They jettisoned actual liberal ideology long ago so I guess an actual democrat seems like a republican to you. ( uhm not sure how) You want more war, more killing, more taxes, no healthcare and a crumbling infrastructure? It's stunning really. So called leftists pushing for endless war and murder of innocent civilians around the world. Unbelievable.
She was my candidate.. Sigh
ReplyDeleteThe things many people don't like about her would have been glossed over if she had been a white cis guy, but wasn't because of racism and misogyny.
A woman with the same resume as MayoPete would not be taken seriously
Such a shame, now we will be stuck with Biden as the candidate
I am heartbroken. Kamala soars in my mind, she just soars. But... all may not be lost. If the Democratic nominee is wise, they will invite Kamala to run with them as their choice for Vice President. And when they win the election, Kamala will be in the position Biden is using, and others have used as well, to get to the oval office. She's too smart not to have thought of this. Keep the thought in your head also. Keep seeing Vice President Kamala Harris.
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ReplyDelete"Kamala Harris’s biggest problem was always Kamala Harris. Last April I wrote about the progressive unease with both Harris’s time as the district attorney in San Francisco and California’s attorney general. The misgivings were so great that the New York Times had written a preemptive hit piece just before Harris announced her candidacy.
The Kamala Harris campaign story about being a plucky progressive prosecutor never did sync up with her actual record, and that was her Achilles heel in debates, not her skin color or sex.
Her off-putting sense of entitlement didn’t help her either.
After landing some solid blows against Joe Biden in the first debate, Harris had the opportunity to cement a spot in among the leaders of the race. They came after -- you guessed it -- her AG record in the next debate and she had little to counter with other than smug derision. Her dismissive “top-tier candidate” line was her “Howard Dean scream” moment. Harris began declining in the polls shortly thereafter.
By the time the third debate had finished, everyone was sick of her.
Because the Democrats have to look at everything through the prism of diversity politics, there will probably be no one among them that does a sober, realistic post mortem about Harris’s failure.
Her wilting on the national stage probably had more to do with the fact that she is a product of the California Democratic party system. The party is so dominant in the Golden State that Democrats need little more than the proper financial backing to advance up the elected office food chain. They don’t exactly get battle-tested when running for office.
Kamala Harris is a United States senator. It’s patently absurd to even suggest that race and/or sex are somehow an obstacle in her political career.
Only one person can be president at a time, and Harris was a really bad presidential candidate.
She’ll never know that though."
I was definitely bummed. I hadn’t chosen my #1 choice yet but I’m definitely saddened to see her go. I’m just happy I saw her in S.F. when she was there for Pride. And yeah DS still our Senator:)
ReplyDeleteI realize it's now common practice to just puppet mainstream corporate media talking points and pass it off as truth but in the name of integrity please cite your sources linking tulsi gabbard to Russia. Thanks!
ReplyDeletep.s. If you can't link any sources maybe stop and consider outrageous claims with no base in reality before condescendingly passing it off as proven fact. It seems we need to aspire to higher standards and actual critical thinking.
And to the commenter above: is the fact that Harris showed up at a pride parade the reason you'd vote for her? Do you have any clue as to her actual track record? If so, how can you defend it because it seems very cruel.
Are we now evaluating world leaders based on identity politics rather than actual policies and ideology?
I’m going to reply to you this one and only time because you seem like a pretty angry person and honestly aren’t even worth arguing with.
DeleteI mentioned seeing her at the Pride parade because NorCal is where I live and that is the one and only time I’ve seen her speak in person. Don’t make asinine assumptions about a stranger’s political decisions. My source: my eyes.
ReplyDelete"Only one person can be president at a time."
Thank you, Stan. I did not know that! I'm assuming that's an example of what you call "actual critical thinking." I also notice that, while urging everyone else to cite sources, you do not cite one. Is that because you're the only source that matters? You seem awfully angry, Stan. And awfully upset on Tulsi's behalf. Not to worry. She had her shot at it.
Anon---there is a reason for the quotation marks in my previous post. I was quoting someone. So....
ReplyDeleteAnd I don't need to cite sources because there aren't any that prove tulsi a "russian assett". Are you really sticking to your guns on this one because it's so absurd it's laughable. Russian asset!! Sitting member of congress, current military service, and veteran of two tours! Russian asset! Unbelievable. It is so egregiously irresponsible to make such asinine accusations with NO proof. But I guess if corporate news keep saying it it must be true. In the real world world it's libel and you can be sued for such non sense.
Hence the critical thinking suggestion. Seriously, do you realize how desperate and sad it is to be complicit in McCarty type red smearing. It's 2019! Have some integrity.
And other anon--- if you support Harris then you support jailing single moms whose kids are truant ( even if they have cancer) and refuse death row inmates access to DNA that would exonerate them. Etc etc etc. so yeah I'll assume you haven't a clue as to her actual policies and only care about gender and race. Go ahead, make an argument for her based on policy.
It's amazing how well you all try and skirt the issue. It's pretty simple, you make an outrageous accusation you cite the source. It's called journalistic integrity. I am making no such accusation, hence, I need no citations. It's very troubling to see how easily you all not only believe such garbage but you won't and can't prove it yet you attack me! Haha...have any of you actually watched tulsi speak? Actually listened? Or do you let "liberal" media dictate your decisions without doing the homework?
ReplyDeleteObviously she isn't a Russian asset. She won't play ball with the established Democratic Party which is so corrupt and bought and paid for ( just like the republicans) that they are desperate to smear her because she won't be controlled. She takes ZERO PAC money. Zero. One needs to do their own research these days, the coporate media is merely propaganda anymore. We have no fourth estate anymore. Sadly.
Tulsi gabbard joe rogan.
ReplyDeletehttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PdYud9re7-Q
I love you, DS! Very well said again. You articulated my feelings beautifully about this situation. Keep up the great work... It's an inspiration for those of us with less of a way with words.
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