Kamala Harris & the Fight Against Internalized Misogyny
Image via the New York Times
Let me start by saying the clear choice in the 2024 Presidential Election is Kamala Harris. While I would relish the chance to vote third party and really shake things up in our dystopian government, political scientists generally agree that third party candidates remain an unrealistic option at this point in time. Third party candidates are often unable to get on the ballot, struggle to raise sufficient funding to properly campaign, are frequently overlooked as debate contenders, and are often intentionally kept out of the news cycle on major networks. A third party candidate has not won the U.S. Presidential Election since 1856 and only a handful of candidates have ever won states. It’s implausible to think this trend will abruptly change now, during what is likely one of the most contentious elections in history. I really wanted to believe in a third party revolutionary this year, but alas. I put my faith in measurable data yet again.
The reality is Americans don’t get to sit up on our high horses and pretend there is no blood on our hands by either withholding our vote or by voting third party. Only the naive and those with enough privilege that the election results ultimately won’t affect them tend to choose those paths. Voting for a “guilt-free” candidate is performative and does nothing to help marginalized communities, nor does holding onto the white hero-complex. It’s like the Prisoner’s Dilemma game theory, wherein individuals often make a choice that is less optimal for the group because they believe they can elicit a better outcome. Yet, good intentions and trying to stand on moral high ground will not effect the change we need. We can get a whole lot more done if we unite.
We live in a country that has flourished on the back of slave labor, both by the hands of people of color and of women. This country was founded on the premise of colonization and genocide and remains dedicated to keeping the utmost power in the hands of white dictators. Orange or not. If we are content to do nothing because choosing makes us feel any less than entirely virtuous, we are a significant part of the problem, and will be the downfall of any semblance of democracy in the U.S. We need to help where we can and a Kamala Harris presidency provides a channel through which we can make meaningful change. In her ongoing campaign, we have hope, something we haven’t had in quite some time, and if she is elected, she will, at minimum, create fewer roadblocks to prevent the changes Americans wish to see and at best, perhaps even facilitate them.
Image via thewhitehouse.org
Kamala Harris may not be perfect, but we need to stop treating politicians like celebrities over whom we can fawn and stan. They are people with imperfect track records and who are subject to the same cultural and political influences we are, as citizens, as voters. The best we can hope for in a system that is designed to benefit white supremacy is to mitigate damage where we can and to elect leaders who will be the most amenable to serving the people. This is how we move forward, slowly and deliberately, and by organizing beyond the limited scope of an election every four years. Kamala Harris has already shown that she is willing to stand up for women’s rights, speak out against her opponents in a much more direct and tactical way than her predecessors, and adopt a firm stance regarding a ceasefire in Gaza.
Harris recently addressed the American people about the Israel-Palestine conflict, saying
“Israel has a right to defend itself and how it does so matters.” She also expressed “serious concern” about “the scale of human suffering” to Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding that she “remain[s] committed to a path forward that can lead to a two state solution.” She explicitly advocated for reaching a ceasefire agreement wherein the Israeli army withdraws from population centers in Gaza and the war ends in a way where Israel is “safe and secure,” yet Palestinians may have “freedom, dignity, and self-determination.” She said, “I see you. I hear you. I will not be silent,” which is a long way from the pro-Zionist rhetoric President Biden has employed since the October 7th attack. I’ll pause here for one caveat. Please understand, I don’t think any political candidate can magically go from Centrist to radical Leftist overnight and I am well aware politicians don’t always follow through on their promises with fidelity. I will still take a small step forward over several generations of falling behind any day.
Now, before I get into internalized misogyny as it pertains to Kamala Harris, I would like to make a point concerning the Israel-Palestine conflict that I think we all need to acknowledge, despite the discomfort it may evoke. The deep and devastating irony of Israel’s staunch defensive position justifying its violent response to the attack by Hamas in Palestine is that Jewish people know far too well what it means to suffer a genocide, making this collective blindness to the plight of Palestinian people especially upsetting. While I can empathize with the fear, distress, and antisemitism Jewish people are facing in the wake of anti-Israel protests as well as with the ongoing experience of persecution and all the generational trauma that must bring, an unbiased perspective is wise and necessary. We, as people, who aim to grow and do better, must self-reflect and consider our own bias. To condemn one genocide and justify another would be a failure of humanity.
Photo via gale.com
This is where I want to address women and draw attention to the intersectionality that exists between unpacking our own personal bias and being an ally to humanitarian causes. None of us are infallible and as long as we are breathing, we need to be deconstructing. Internalized misogyny is defined as the sexist behavior and attitudes women exhibit towards themselves and other women and girls. It is the result of living under a patriarchy, in which every aspect of our lives is designed to groom us, to make us respond favorably to men, to encourage us to be less than, and to make us hate ourselves on an unconscious level. It’s a life’s work deconstructing all of the institutions, media, and social traditions that have shaped and molded us and we are all at different places.
When it comes to women voting for Trump and other political figureheads that actively work against the common interest of women, I think it usually boils down to three things: trying to cater to men consciously or subconsciously in order to receive privilege and perceived safety by proximity, religious indoctrination and social conditioning, and trauma. It may seem absurd for women to actively go out and vote for a thirty-four time convicted felon known for objectifying and assaulting women, but there’s a cognitive dissonance there, similar to the brain fog one encounters in an abusive relationship. To accept that many of the men in our lives morally and intellectually align with our oppressor is earth-shattering. It destroys any illusions of true freedom, autonomy, and safety and it causes a valley of grief. Many women need to believe that if they “follow the rules” of patriarchy, then everything will be okay. They need to self-blame the way an abused child needs to believe they are the problem. Because we still live in a world where most women depend on men for survival.
Yet, despite these very real and haunting challenges, as women, we must actively work to analyze where our own biases originate, who’s pulling the strings, and why. It is our duty to question what we believe and to seek truth. We have an unequal distribution of labor in society and when it comes to dismantling the patriarchy, nothing is new. We need to unify as women and break our chains.
Admittedly, I myself used to be more judgmental of women. It’s something I’m still unlearning. I used to say embarrassing things like “I’m not like other girls,” and “I prefer to be friends with guys.” I shake my head now thinking back. Who made me feel like I needed to be so “different” from other women? Why were women inherently so unfavorable? These were the questions I had to start asking myself in my twenties. We are all on separate journeys, but our paths do converge, and we must respect one another and learn to cooperate for the common good. We must be willing to be uncomfortable.
Recently, there has been a smear campaign led by MAGA cultists and rightwing conservatives to discredit Vice President Harris, and I am dismayed to see how many women, especially young women, are falling for it. Even in modern times, we unfortunately expect to hear sexist rhetoric from men, but to hear women joining in is horrific.
Photo via elections2024.thehill.com
To those who say Kamala Harris slept her way to the top - she didn’t. She was elected as attorney general (twice), was elected to the Senate, and was elected to the office of Vice President. We must stop trying to discredit her achievements and minimize her credibility. Women are sexual beings who engage in sexual activity and the narrative that women can only ever find themselves in positions of power through the sexual exploitation of their bodies is old and egregious. Besides, what’s being described here is sexual predation. In this theoretical scenario, shouldn’t we be upset with the corrupt officials who took advantage of a subordinate and withheld promotions, making them contingent on sexual favors?
While we’re at it, we should also question why Harris is accused of being less invested in the United States because she doesn’t have any biological children (despite being a mother to step-children, which is apparently not enough). From where I’m standing as a single, childless cat lady (Fuck you, J.D. Vance), it doesn’t take reproducing to care about my country. I am a teacher because I want the coming generations to have the knowledge and tools to do better and I care about my family and friends and all the creatures of the planet. Kamala Harris is a whole person, with many nuanced goals and aspirations, and she does not need to birth children to be serious about our country’s future. As a society, we need to stop pushing the narrative that women are somehow inherently selfish or less invested in community when they remain child-free. There are so many ways to contribute; being a caregiver is merely one. Perhaps being President of a nation is also helpful.
Most ridiculously, however, is the pitiful attempt by rightwing media to cast Kamala Harris in a less than presidential light by showing clips of her laughing. Of course these video compilations are a poorly guised distraction from her glowing success both rallying for voter engagement and raising over 300 million dollars from donors in July alone. These childish videos attempt to create a caricature of a professional woman by likening her to the stereotype of a ditz, as a frivolous, dimwitted, and overly emotional woman.
Yet, Kamala Harris is anything but. She has charisma and she understands that people and people’s issues cannot be addressed in a void, something she emphasized in her recent reference to the wise words her mother used to say: “What? You think you just fell out of a coconut tree? You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.” Again, I’ll say it. Kamala Harris isn’t perfect, but what candidate in the history of any nation ever has been? She is stepping up. She is initiating a more appropriate conversation regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict. She is calling Trump out on trying to switch the September debate from ABC to Fox News. She just made Tim Walz, a former Social Studies and Geography teacher and considerably more progressive choice than Josh Shapiro her running mate. She is calling us to action.
Let’s unpack the patriarchy together and face our internalized misogyny hand in hand. If Kamala Harris doesn’t appeal to you, I implore you to question why. Are you withholding your vote waiting for the ideal female candidate? Because if you are, maybe you should consider why women always need to be perfect to be given plaudits, respect, or even a chance.