Actually, Kamala *is* Black. And That's Why Republicans Are Terrified

Here we go again.

With their hate on full display with the emergence of Kamala Harris, Republicans are now going all in on the same kind of racist attacks that we saw when Barack Obama first entered the national spotlight in 2007. They simply can't help themselves. The fact that not one but two brilliant biracial Democrats have emerged over the past two decades terrifies them beyond belief. To quote the Public Enemy album, it is this "fear of a dark planet" that has caused Republicans to lose their collective minds. Back in 2007, Republicans tried to derail Barack Obama's candidacy by attempting to tie him to Reverend Jeremiah Wright and to make it seem like some radical Nation of Islam devotee. In 2008, we saw conservatives become convinced that Barack Obama was born in Kenya instead of Hawaii. The birther movement lasted well into President Obama's first term with renowned racist Donald Trump leading the charge. It wasn't until President Obama released his long-form birth certificate in 2011 that the hysteria finally died down just enough for Republicans to realize that trying to delegitimize the country's first Black president in an election year might not be the best way to win over moderate and independent voters. 

But here we are, 13 years later, and Republicans are at it once again.

Because for them, having a biracial woman at the top of the Democratic ticket simply means they have just over 90 days to make her as unpalatable as possible to their racist base. Less than two weeks in and we're already seeing the playbook unfold. Kamala slept her way to the top. She put innocent parents in jail as the San Francisco DA. She never would have been part of the Biden Administration if Joe Biden hadn't made her a DEI hire. She isn't Black. She hasn't done anything these past three-plus years except be in Joe Biden's shadow. The racist tropes go on and on, each one more offensive than the last. 

And while these disgusting accusations might play well on Fox News or Newsmax, middle America sees these for what they are: a desperate attempt to bring down a strong, proud Black woman. While Donald Trump continues to butcher his efforts to connect with Black America, it's obvious that this is a voting demographic that Republicans will once again lose bigly in 2024. But now, Trump has painted himself into a corner. If Kamala is so unqualified as he claims, she would surely do poorly on the national debate stage. Wouldn't Donald Trump relish the opportunity to prove once and for all that Kamala is all hat and no cattle? 

The great irony with modern conservatism is that it is all projection. They are always guilty of what they are accusing others of doing. It's the ideal way to deflect attention from the party's own deficiencies. Think about how they're trying to frame Kamala Harris. Someone unqualified. Someone who used sex to advance careers. Someone who tried to put innocent people in jail. Someone who served in the White House but was in over her head. It should only take a moment to realize that all of these accusations against Kamala Harris actually do apply to Donald J. Trump. Trump had no political experience. Trump was an adulterer, who bragged about using his power to sexually assault women. Trump called for the execution of the Central Park Five. And Trump in the White House showed us time and time again how grossly unprepared he was for the role.

Kamala Harris is Black. And South Indian. And the daughter of immigrants. She earned her way to an HBCU. She thought creatively about issues as a district attorney. She took on powerful enemies as the Attorney General of California. She publicly embarrassed Brett Kavanaugh and Bill Barr as a United States Senator. For the last three and a half years, she has gained remarkable experience traveling the world and serving as the second-in-command to the most successful president of the last half-century. This is the Kamala Harris that most voters see, not the caricatured one that has emerged in the last three weeks on Republican news outlets. 

So please Republicans, continue. Keep going with your birtherism 2.0 against the first woman of color to be nominated for president. Keep up the racist stereotypes and tropes. Keep questioning her accent and her qualifications. Keep framing her as a DEI hire. Because the more you do, the more you are reminding swing voters just how rampant and repulsive your racism truly is. It's 2024 and "Black jobs" now range from doctors to lawyers to university presidents to world-class performers and artists to even the President of the United States. The more you try and use your not-so-subtle racist dog whistles that are more like racist bullhorns, the further away you drive independents from voting for your party. Your racist rhetoric may play well on Newsmax but in suburban Pennsylvania, it's another story entirely. 

We lived through the attacks on Obama in 2008. We saw the media's and far left's inherent sexism rip down Hillary Clinton in 2016. In 2024, we refuse to allow a third qualified candidate to become a victim of this country's misogynoir. There has already been pushback on social media. The KHive is back and better than ever. Democratic officials are already on the airwaves united behind their nominee. Republicans are panicking because racism and misogyny are all they have. On substance alone, they know they can't compete with Kamala Harris. Like a cornered animal, they are lashing out in a desperate attempt to stave off defeat. In these last 92 days, the attacks will only get worse. But we know they're coming. We know the playbook. And we know that Republicans doing this means they are coming from a position of weakness rather than a position of strength. 

A weakness we must continue to exploit by pushing back as often as possible. 

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