She’s already broken barriers, and now Kamala Harris could shatter several more after President Joe Biden abruptly ended his reelection bid and endorsed her.
Biden announced Sunday that he was stepping aside after a disastrous debate performance catalyzed fears that the 81-year-old was too frail for a second term.
Harris is the first woman, Black person or person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president. If she becomes the Democratic nominee and defeats Republican candidate Donald Trump in November, she would be the first woman to serve as president.
Biden said Sunday that choosing Harris as his running mate was “the best decision I’ve made” and endorsed her as his successor.
Yes, I’m obviously being combative by pointing out that Kamala Harris is non-white, and would be the first such President and it’s a big deal, and then giving shit to the few who tried to bring up Obama and didn’t realize he was half white.
Again, this is just linguistics games. Obama is the first non-white president if your definition of “non-white” is something like, “A person whose ethnicity/ethnic identity is something other than white.” Assuming she wins, Harris will be the first non-white president if your definition of “non-white” is something like, “A person whose ancestry does not include any Caucasians.”
Or rather, she would be if her father didn’t have any Caucasian ancestry. But he does. You knew that, didn’t you? Didn’t you?
No, Obama was the first Black President, sure. But he was not the only non-white President.
Maybe to you, but it’s not. It’s a huge thing that she is the first non-white President. Nobody in the populous gives a shit what they identify as. In her case, she’s black and Indian, and any voters who identify with that will feel less disenfranchised about her winning.
What you’re describing is some weird Rachel Dolezol shit. Nobody wants that.
Oh, for fuck’s sake… No, what I’m describing is a logical problem with your statements.
First, let’s get this out of the way: Race is a social construct. We differentiate between “black” and “white” in large part because of racism. Ta-Nehisi Coates has written a lot about how without racism, we wouldn’t perceive each other as different because of such a tiny variation as the color of our skin, and I tend to think he’s right. Concepts of race, as opposed to minor genetic variance, are predicated on racism.
With that said, when you call someone “non-white,” you can mean it in the technical sense of not having Caucasian ancestry, which applies to neither Obama nor Harris (which I’m positive you didn’t know until now, since you’ve been calling her “non-white” in this sense), or you can mean it in the sense of a social construct, which applies to both Obama and Harris.
There is no definition of “non-white” that applies to one, but not the other. Both have some Caucasian ancestry. Both are perceived socially as non-white because of how their bodies express certain alleles. Pick one definition and stick to it.
And yet…you’re still wrong.
Figured this is what you meant. Imagine invoking the reverse One Drop Rule and thinking you have the superior position.
Yes, referring to Harris as the first “non-white President” somehow puts me in a position of power.
You drinking today?
bright spot. a bunch of readers knew exactly what you meant and went “huh! thats pretty cool.”
Thank you for being the optimist at the party. We need more of you just hanging around and bringing the right vibe to the conversation. 🥰