Why are some Democrats denying the role race and gender play in how Harris is being received?

[StarfishSaver]

I've noticed that at the same time some people say we maybe shouldn't select a woman or minority as the Democratic nominee because too many "other" people wouldn't vote for them and we have no room for error this time around, many of those same people adamantly deny that Kamala Harris' difficulty gaining traction in the Democratic field has anything to do with her being a black woman?

How can one be true but not the other? Do Democrats really believe we live in a country so full of racism and sexism that a black woman can't win a general election, but that we Democrats are completely untainted by that pervasive racism and sexism? Surely that's not the only challenge she's got, but why deny that racism and sexism could be and likely are playing a part, even a small one, in how a black female presidential candidate is faring in the primaries?

It seems to me that if we are truly concerned about the beams in everyone else's eyes, we need to first remove beam in our own, which we can't do if we don't even recognize and acknowledge it.

[beachbumbob]

1. Harris is the VP of choice for what I see will be a Biden-Harris run. A perfect position for her

next job as president

[Dem4Life1102]

8. Stacy Abrams is a better choice

Harris is from a safe blue state. Abrams could help put some red states in play.

[StarfishSaver]

15. That doesn't answer my question.

[LAS14]

3. Because Obama won the presidency twice? Because Hillary won the popular vote?

Because we have three POC and four women on the debate stage? I'm not saying nothing is left to be done on those fronts, of course, but I do think we, Democrats especially, have gone over a hump.

[beachbumbob]

4. we democrats neither fear women or POC as leaders and we have 10x (probably more)

than republicans

[StarfishSaver]

6. Every single Democrat?

No Democrats have any racial or gender bias and vote accordingly?

You really believe that?

[StarfishSaver]

5. I assume, then, you're not among those who say we shouldn't select a black woman because she can't

win?

But that said, your comment doesn't address my question since the fact that a black man or a white woman won the popular vote in the past does not mean that Democrats are free from racial or gender bias in connection with a black woman any more than it means that the U.S. is now "post-racial" because Barack Obama was elected president.

[PunkinPi]

7. Good post and questions, I look forward to reading the replies (I think). nt

[J_William_Ryan]

9. If we were seeking to

vote out of office any other incumbent Republican president the thread premise might have some validity.

But the current malignancy in the Oval Office isn’t any other Republican incumbent president.

It’s more likely the correct understanding among Democrats that this election is going to be very bitter and very close – where nothing should be left to chance removing that malignancy from office.

[StarfishSaver]

11. So, a black woman is too "chancy" this time?

And you don't think that what makes her "too chancy" couldn't also be something that affects Democratic voters, as well?

[LuvNewcastle]

10. All of our candidates have some trait that some people might

see as a flaw. Biden and Bernie are old. Harris and Booker are black. Warren is too liberal. Buttigieg is gay. I don't think any of our candidates has it worse than any other. The opposition are going to focus on any perceived less-than-ideal trait and beat it to death; that is to be expected. I think the best thing to do is to support the person who you think can win and do the best job when they get in there.

[mcar]

12. +1000

Thanks for this Starfish Saver. This denial does not help our party.

[Sneederbunk]

13. Probably because she is not the only female or person of color running.

[StarfishSaver]

14. But she IS the only black woman running

[Kahuna7]

16. I don't believe that her gender or race is holding her back. If Oprah or

Michelle Obama were running, they would be leading the pack.

[StarfishSaver]

17. I assume, then, you're not among those who believe a black woman can't win the general election?

[Kahuna7]

21. I don't believe that a black woman cannot win the general election. I believe

that Harris hasn't presented a reason for why she is the best to go against trump. She failed to stake out her own lane. She tried to out progressive Bernie and Warren and got lost in the clutter. She touts her prosecutor credentials...but that's not what a president does. That's not the job of a president to prosecute people.

[ismnotwasm]

18. Assuming race or gender is not a factor absolutely baffles me

Trump, for instance, is bigotry personified, racism, personified. He is the ultimate in the power of a white male. Presumably he is the BEST Republicans have to offer. They vote for him. They defend him. They will vote for him again.



Democrats obviously are much better, but racism and sexism are our very structures.

Saying “we voted for a woman”, “or we elected Obama, twice”, is whitewashing, being deliberately blind, and upholds these racist/sexist structures and standards. I don’t get it. I don’t understand why acknowledging how large a part racism and sexism still plays in our society is hard so admit.

[StarfishSaver]

24. I'm with you 100%

I've always been baffled and frustrated by liberals claiming "I don't have a racist/sexist bone in my body." That just defies reality and plain common sense.

[aikoaiko]

19. When people run, the bias factor is baked into the campaign.

Biden and Bernie are white and really old
Warren is a woman and almost as old
Buttigieg is short and gay
Harris is a black woman.

That is not to say all these biases are equivalent, but every campaign knows what will be held against them by some, even party members.

Harris rose in the national polls when she attacked Biden and then she let off the pedal and slowly sank.
She knew what she had to do, but decided not to do it.

Obama found his own path with speeches like this:

"Well, I say to them tonight, there's not a liberal America and a conservative America; there's the United States of America.

"There's not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there's the United States of America.

"The pundits, the pundits like to slice and dice our country into red states and blue States: red states for Republicans, blue States for Democrats. But I've got news for them, too. We worship an awesome God in the blue states, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the red states.

"We coach little league in the blue states and, yes, we've got some gay friends in the red states.

"There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq, and there are patriots who supported the war in Iraq.

"We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America."

[LongtimeAZDem]

20. On the contrary; it helped early on. I think her disingenuous attack on Biden hurt her

[tritsofme]

23. Most candidacies fail, it is unremarkable.

It’s not as though she was embraced by black voters and shunned by other groups, everyone has taken a pass.

For a first time presidential candidate, in a field of more than 12, with no pre-existing national base of support, I’d say she did as good or better than expected. I don’t think she “deserved” to do any better?

[TomSlick]

25. I'd be all about Senator Harris if she had the support of AA Democrats

No Democrat can win either the nomination or a general election without the support of African Americans - especially AA woman. So far, she isn't mustering that support.

If and when Senator Harris wins the support of AA Democrats, she will be in like Flint.

[SterlingPound]

26. voting in the primaries based on how you guess others of your party will vote is not new in the Dems

and it has given us some pretty mediocre results.

I was First a Harris Supporter and only changed to warren when Harris said she wants a 10 year transition period to MFA

But i think she would be a great potus and Warren/Harris is a Real Winner

It gives me somoene who wants to do M4A in a Term and Harris In 8 years if all works out well.