Get In Line 2024
I need to get this off my 70+ year old scrawny chest, because if I see one more comment, meme, cartoon, or op ed slamming VP Kamala Harris, especially from Democrats, I’m going to lose it. She’s been proclaimed inadequate from the get go. Many naysayers rely only on their info silos or no info at all, just perceptions. So many times I’ve answered the ‘what’s Kamala Harris actually doing, it doesn’t seem like much’ question with “plenty”. Do you follow her social media? I have since the beginning. Do you actually look for information or wait for it to be fed to you by a mainstream media that retains so much misogyny it reminds me of 2016 all over again? Here is where I confess to my 2016 PTSD. Heck, they’re even criticizing the way Kamala laughs. Can’t wait for the canckles comments to start. And when did you ever ask what Mike Pence was doing during the 45 era (not including post election when he got plenty of attention)?
Fortunately for me there have been a few pieces in the last few weeks that give me hope, despite all the hand wringing. Mark Jacobs (Stop the Presses) sums it up. There are 3 main problems with Kamala Harris that send people into a tizzy. She is a Democrat, a person of color, and a woman, the trifecta of GOP hatred. Choose either of the other two for hesitant Democrats. The heck with her incredible experience and credentials, which rise far above many former VPs, because, you know, DEI.
In their effort to be ‘balanced’, the WaPo put up Kathleen Parker’s hit piece, after Jennifer Rubin addressed the VP issue, calling her ‘underrated’, with FACTS. She’d written last fall about the calls to replace Harris. VP Harris is certainly hitting her stride in her position, staying on message, supporting her POTUS and their vision for America, and not shying away from speaking her mind on important issues. She’s been in the room with POTUS in times of crisis. By the end of 2023, she had traveled on four official trips to Asia (Thailand, Philippines, Japan, Singapore, Viet Nam, Indonesia, and South Korea). She has made official trips to Guatemala, Mexico, France, Germany, Poland, Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia, Honduras and the Bahamas. Harris has represented the US at the Munich Security Conference THREE times. She has criss-crossed the country in defense of reproductive rights and health care, and has been welcomed at colleges campus all over the nation, engaging with young voters on issues that matter to them. She stands up for Joe Biden without upstaging him, and was brilliant in her defense in the wake of Special Counsel Hur’s “lapse in judgement”, calling his comments regarding Biden’s age “gratuitous, inaccurate and inappropriate.” NPR published this today, thank you very much.
So stop, please, with the moaning about how Joe should replace her on the ticket. As the highest ranking woman in US government EVER, she is more than ready to step in should anything befall POTUS in the next 4 years. This is the ticket we have, and it’s been a successful team. A lot of us out here really like what she brings to the table. Otherwise, you’ll help propel a repeat of 2016. I’m looking at you, Jill Stein voters, Bernie or Busters, and stay at homes. We need all hands on deck to banish TFG and his MAGAts.
Bill Clinton once said “Democrats want to fall in love; Republicans just fall in line.” We have to fall in line for the biggest Blue Wave ever in November. And that’s a FACT.
Fran, I think your assessment of VPOTUS is spot on. I don’t know why American voters are so misogynistic, but they proved with HRC that they are. And add POC to the mix and you’ve got a potent mix. I don’t love Harris, but I think she’d be a perfectly competent and effective president. We don’t know who TFG is going to choose for his running mate, but it’s hard for me to believe it will be someone more capable and experienced than Kamala Harris.
1Thank you, @Fran!
If President Biden is underrated and underappreciated, Vice-President Harris is doubly so. It is unfortunate that she doesn’t get more coverage – usually just a mention of what she’s up to at the top of the hour on NPR – I’m glad they’ve done a more in-depth story about her!
I do pay attention to what she’s up to, and, it seems to me, she’s getting great experience with immigration and international affairs, and with human rights here in the US.
Thanks for bringing the conversation into the Salon!
2Totally agree and think she’s been underutilized. I wish Biden’s administration would have put hout there more and praised her ability and accomplishments. The media, even non RW media, barely gives her the attention she deserves. RFK jr’s VP pick is already getting more press.
3Thanks for this, Fran. I’ve noticed recently that all the “chatter” about how she was an awful boss seems to have disappeared. I suspect that such talk originated from Biden’s underlings–a phenomenon we’ve seen in previous admins–without his knowledge or encouragement. I further posit that he told everybody to STFU with the subversive criticisms of her.
My only beef with Kamala isn’t her laugh. Rather, it is with the curiously stilted way she has when she speaks “officially”. I suspect this is why she didn’t get any traction when she was running in the 2020 primaries. Could be wrong. Nevertheless, she seems to have lightened that up a bit of late. Probably has to do with the trust POTUS obviously has in her, plus her becoming comfortable in the role she has been asked to play.
If she became POTUS tomorrow, I would have no problems with that. The question should be ask of all those who want her replaced is: With whom?
4Thank you for a wonderful column, Fran. I, too, think Kamala has done an outstanding job and gotten little recognition from the media. Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post is one of the few journalists to recognize this. Kathleen Parker – bah! (I’m still wondering how she ever won a Pulitzer.)
And I agree with BarbinDC, with whom would the anysayers replace her?
5My sister, The Republican, is constantly railing about unqualified Democrats, including Harris.
I respond that any Democrat is more qualified for their position than Trump is for President. Or dog catcher for that matter.
I agree Fran, people who complain about Harris aren’t paying attention.
6Some ‘good news’ items :
ETTD– DJT BFF Mike Lindell sinks further into financial morass:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/3/27/2231883/-MyPillow-Evicted-From-Warehouse-For-Nonpayment
About [actually well past] time [JoeLie was just on teevee pushing “No Labels” 3rd party bull, which will harm Biden’s chances]:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/3/27/2231952/-Joe-Leiberman-is-dead
Ronna is still gone in under 3 days [but picking up a big effing exit check].
Komrade Donnei’s stock had a bit of another dead cat bounce today [up 14%], but is trending lower in afterhours trading [DJT/TMTG]. Volume 32M, heavy for such a lightweight stock.:
https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/stocks/djt/real-time
7So, to summarize the article which defended her, she has:
– traveled a lot
– given many talks/speeches
– defended negative remarks against President Biden
Collectively, those fulfill the *minimum* which can be expected of any VP — hardly a ringing endorsement of leadership or ability. Arguably, the above have been done by any number of people (including those in the media) to relatively little applause.
The article mentioned, “she was assigned a near impossible task of stemming the tide of Central American migrants” but does not mention a single meeting, milestone, or task which she accomplished towards that end.
From my perspective, she – at best – rates a “C” as a VP and will have nothing of note to cite as an accomplishment should she ever aspire to higher office. She has peaked out.
8Y’all, I need to get something off my 84 year old chest. I vividly remember Harry Truman as Vice President. I recall that there were critics who couldn’t tolerate his background as a failed haberdasher in some town in Missouri, his temper, and how he was as far from FDR in so many ways that he may have even come from a different planet. I also recall how he picked up the Presidential office after FDR died and amazed everybody with what he achieved. And years later when I was at the Young Democrats ball at the Kennedy inauguration I saw how Truman swept into the lobby of the Mayflower Hotel and everybody made room for him, something that didn’t happen when Carmine delSapio of NYC and his entourage preceeded the little man in the fedora and camel colored overcoat. As soon as everybody was aware it was HST himself in the lobby ther whole area straightened up.
9No argument from this Californian. We have known about the Veep for years. What she did for mortgagees during her state AG term (vis-a-vis the big banks) is under-reported and under-appreciated, even by beneficiaries of her work. She was my only VP pick.
10There’s plenty of stuff on the internet about Kamala’s accomplishments in her career which go well beyond her short time as an underutilized VP, which is normal. I love what Maggie said about Truman. VP’s are second fiddle until they’re called into the Oval Office to be in charge. Compared to trumpf, there’s no comparison. Nuff said
11Compared to what Reagan and the Rejects did to President Carter and other historical Republican nasty election tricks & lies, what is being done to Vice President Harris is outright political assassination. And, much like voting for any Republican candidate evuh totally against our own best interests as a nation. fwiw VP Harris was my first choice during the NV caucus in 2019 to be our Presidential nominee. Unfortunately, the DNC utilizing some confederate putz to tilt the ballot…
But lordy! tRump??? Talk about voting against our own interests as a nation. Will be happily mailing in our ballots for Jill, Kamala and Joe in the national. Age? Meh. With Kamala as second, Joe’s good.
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