Racism cited in criticism against Kamala Harris getting top job

Cheerleaders for Vice President Kamala Harris ascending to the presidency, in focus as the president faces pressure to quit his reelection campaign, have turned to a familiar theme in tackling her critics — racism.

In a column for the pro-women, pro-LGBT news site the 19th, an editor said that Harris was initially omitted from media discussions about who could replace Biden if he left the race.

Errin Haines suggested that Harris faced snubs from white Democrats, who were discussing her chances of getting the nomination and beating former President Donald Trump.

“Harris was among Biden’s staunchest and swiftest defenders after a poor performance at the first presidential debate of the 2024 cycle on June 27. Nervous — mostly white — Democrats began raising questions about Biden’s age and capacity to continue as the party’s nominee, and some called for him to step aside. But some of the early talk of a potential successor routinely skipped over the sitting vice president,” she wrote for the online site on Wednesday.

The former race reporter for the Associated Press also said the first female vice president, who is of Afro-Jamaican and Indian descent, faced other slights in how her potential candidacy was discussed.

“In the last few days, as Harris has entered the conversation, familiar criticisms of her leadership, readiness and ability to effectively message to and connect with voters have resurfaced. She is frequently referred to simply as ‘Kamala’ by the press and was called ‘the first DEI president’ in a recent New York Post editorial and by a GOP congressman,” she wrote.

Haines quoted Glynda Carr, president of Higher Heights for America PAC, “an organization focused on supporting black women as voters, candidates and elected officials,” who raised the issue of how women, and especially black women, are mistreated in the media.

“If the president and vice president were two white males, there wouldn’t be this strong discussion about who could or should be selected in the political process if the president has decided not to move forward,” Carr said.

Harris “has run, won and governed at every level, including sitting steps away from the Oval Office,” she was quoted as saying, and warned, “She continues to show up every day, doing the job of the vice president. She has checked all those boxes. We’re going to be very aware of how people continue to talk about her in this moment, about her readiness to lead, her qualifications, her experience.”

Haines made the case that black women especially are supporting the president, but not simply because he’s the Democratic nominee.

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She said his support from black women can be credited to Harris, who they welcome as the president’s heir apparent.

“Black women know Biden is old. But, they say, he was old four years ago when they voted for him — and they feel comfortable voting for him again because they believe he has a capable vice president who is ready to lead if he cannot continue,” she wrote.