No, Kamala Harris Is Not "Too Warm" Or "Connecting Too Much"

[RandySF]

A recent article in Politico lays out the argument that Sen. Kamala Harris' ability to connect with voters is the Achilles' heel of her presidential campaign. The writer's evidence? She relates to the people she meets on a personal level rather than always going all policy-wonk on them, like when she asked for a woman's mother's name during a campaign stop in Iowa after hearing that the mother had fled domestic abuse in Mexico. She's "noncommittal or vague on a range of issues." She's just too warm. "[D]espite building a reputation as one of the Senate's toughest interrogators and vaulting ahead of most of the 2020 field, [Harris] remains a politician under construction," he writes.

No one writes articles like this about men. It's hard to imagine the personable charm of, say, Joe Biden or Beto O'Rourke, both likely 2020 candidates, being held against them. But for Harris, being charismatic is somehow a harbinger of her downfall. The author spoke with "two dozen political strategists, elected officials, and Democratic activists and voters," all of whom praised her ability to connect with voters emotionally — and, somehow, the story's overall point is still "this could hurt Kamala."

It was only a matter of time in this historic presidential election cycle, with more women than ever running, that someone turned the type of glad-handing the public expects of presidential candidates — having actual conversations with voters, signing autographs, kissing babies, etc. — into a fatal flaw. Same goes for the hobbies candidates engage in from time to time on the campaign trail. No one said anything when the press went motorcycle-riding with Gov. Scott Walker or skeet-shooting with Sen. Lindsey Graham. But when reporters accompanied Harris to a boutique where she tried on a colorful sequin coat (she later told The Daily Show's Trevor Noah she bought it), all hell broke loose in their Twitter mentions.

"This is absolutely the kind of double standard and double bind [we often see applied to women candidates]," Celinda Lake, a pollster and Democratic political strategist, as well as president of Lake Research Partners, told Refinery29. "Likability is assessed much more for women than men. And when do you hear a man told he's too nice?"



https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/03/226449/kamala-harris-personal-connection-campaign-sexist-criticism

[Cha]

1. Exactly.. freaking double standards.

[deurbano]

2. For Politico, running for president while being female is the "Achilles' heel" of her campaign.

[saidsimplesimon]

3. Senator Harris is on my short list.

At this point "short" means at least 5 others need more vetting on my part. This primary may be a tough choice for me if all are still standing midway. (Elizabeth Warren is also near the top, despite her age, my bad)

[Garrett78]

4. Probably half will be gone before Iowa. And half of the remainder by Super Tuesday.

[lilactime]

5. This shit just pisses me off so much, I made my decision.

[liberalnarb]

6. Stupid argument.

Connecting with voters on any level can't be a negative.

[Hortensis]

7. Lol. Hey, Kamala IS warm and great at connecting.

These obvious attempts at sabotage reveal clearly enough who those commissioning them are afraid of.

[dsc]

8. God forbid Tiger Beat on the Potomic actually cover issues

when they can engage in idle gossip.

[CrossingTheRubicon]

9. Probably the dumbest argument against a candidate that I've ever read.

[wasupaloopa]

10. The quesgtion is, would you like to have a beer with her.