The Right Now is Female.
The election of 2020 showed America is Joe Biden in the streets, Kamala Harris in the sheets. By that I mean that we were hungry for stability on the surface, opting for the stability of a very traditional older white male candidate, while Kamala Harris spoke to the hopeful heart of this nation — a nation that wants progress in representation — but especially after losing with Hillary to a dangerous threat to democracy & the planet like Trump — there was a feeling that too much is on the line to even f*ck with progress.
Joe Biden’s numbers were solid and unwavering even before the start of the 2020 campaign. He had the highest poll numbers throughout & the highest numbers of people turned out to vote for him. Traditional or centrist Dems who value diversity in the candidates were especially split on the melange of candidates offered. DSA democrats were passionately dedicated to Bernie just as they were in 2016, but there was never any evidence by the polls and voter turnout that Bernie could attract voters beyond his base. His numbers in polls were stable. Bernie supporters allege that other candidates dropping out and rallying behind Biden was rigging — but the truth is that when voters were given a completely fair choice between 2 men, Biden & Bernie, voters legitimately preferred Biden. And that choice of 2 men was an important moment in the primaries, as it reflected what it would be like in the general against Trump — who did more people believe in? The numbers supported Biden throughout.
But this is still a country hungry for greater progress in representation. America has been threatened and punished for bold moves. The only woman to ever run as a major party candidate was Hillary Clinton, and her supporters and this country were verbally battered and abused in profound and unprecedented ways. America was afraid to run a non white male candidate against Trump again. So they chose the most experienced white male candidate available. And that man, Joe Biden, opened the door to a running mate that really meant something to the heart of America.
It does feel like Kamala Harris could be President after this. It does feel like the door is open even wider than it looks.
There’s also a lesson in how America achieves progress. Though marginalized voices may rightfully resent needing permission from the status quo, it is through cooperation that we get there. I hope the day comes where a woman opens the door for herself & white people aren’t the gatekeepers for all power & money in this country, but that day isn’t here today. President Abraham Lincoln, establishment white male politician, was a crucial actor in abolishing the slavery that white men created. President Elect Joe Biden opened the door for a shattered glass ceiling in selecting Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate. We didn’t get here alone, but it is in this cooperation that we rise together & we stay risen.
However we got here:
The Right Now is Female.
