Let's not forget misogyny and racism
Was there also misogyny and racism? In an article in the Guardian Newspaper Judith Levine gave an account of the misogyny and racism that Kamala’s candidacy unleashed. Attacks on her from the hard maga republicans
‘Tim Burchett, the Tennessee Republican representative, called Harris, the child of a Black Jamaican father and an Indian mother, a DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) hire – picked, that is, because she is Black, not because she’s qualified. Donald Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, insinuated that Harris is a welfare queen. “What the hell have you done other than collect a check?” he asked at a Michigan rally of Harris, a former state attorney general, US senator and now the vice president. At the same time, social media posts showing Harris with her parents falsely claim she’s not really Black, because her father is light-skinned.’[1]
Levine describe the even more outrageous sexism.
‘Far-right blogger Matt Walsh and former Fox host Megyn Kelly suggested Harris slept her way to the top. Conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer went further, alleging that the veep was “once an escort”
But haven’t Americans learned to tune out these comments or see them as caricatures of rational debate, almost comedic? In 2021, JD Vance criticized Harris and several other prominent Democrats as being “childless cat ladies” which was generally greeted with hilarity. Other commentators, however, point to the huge volume of online hate, misogyny and racism that results from the high-profile attacks. The effect is to surround women and particularly women of colour with a sense of suspicion and exoticism, so that it is possible to object to them by not acknowledging the racism or sexism but simply being ‘uncertain’ feeling she ‘can't be trusted’ or ‘isn’t right for the job’. This ‘gut feeling’ that Kamala is weak or not capable wears a homespun innocence and masks the underlying racism or sexism.
Melanie Smith who is the Director of Research for ISD US based in Washington DC, and leads a team of analysts focused on detecting, exposing, and mitigating the threats associated with online disinformation operations, believes the bottom line is always misogyny “They’re not trolling her just to troll her. There’s a broader effort at play that is connected to undermining women’s participation in democracy and women holding office,” she said. “There is this bigger agenda.”[2]
[1] Conservatives’ racist and sexist attacks on Kamala Harris show exactly who they are