I remember my amazement when Kamala Harris accused Joe Biden of racism in a debate, only to accept the position of his Vice President later. She laughed and shrieked, "It was literally a debate!" Ace theorizes that she believes lying is a legitimate tactic in a political debate just as bluffing is a legitimate tactic in poker.
Apparently the coast is clear to deploy the tactic again, as Harris complains that the bad white men around her "failed to position her for success."
I hate it when men fail to position me for success. As Ace puts it, I deserve to have them hold the door for me and carry me over the threshold, so I can be a star in my own right.
2 comments:
I know that was just a quick hit in a longer piece by Ace but I think it exposes something more problematic than is covered by the word 'lying'.
There's more than a little evidence floating around that Slo Joe is casually racist in a way that most of us would find shocking in one of our acquaintances. His association with segregationist Democrats early in his career, the infamous Indians (Southwest Asian) and 7-11s remark, his opposition to racial integration in schools, "poor kids are just as smart as white kids". Leaving aside Harris's dodgy portrayal of her childhood, she wasn't wrong when she accused Biden of a history of at best racial insensitivity.
The subsequent "It was just a debate" remark to me reveals a deep cynicism that evaluates every position she takes primarily on the basis of its political utility in the moment, and not just to the normal degree for a politician. It also shows the degree to which Harris has never been pushed to answer tough questions, and defaulted to saying the quiet part out loud. I'm sure all of us could put together what would be the typically saccharine answer to such a question about how Joe had convinced her he had changed his ways and would be growing in sensitivity to racial issues, especially given the current emphasis on them. It's amazing that someone supposedly so smart and savvy couldn't do it, almost like she never expected the question to be asked.
I still can't believe Mike Pence didn't start his debate with Harris using some variation on, "I'd like to remind everyone Ms. Harris accused her current running mate of supporting institutionalized racism. When later asked about this, she excused herself by saying it was just a debate. Every American should keep in mind you cannot trust anything my opponent says here by her own admission because this is a debate."
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