The megastar thought she may harm Hillary Clinton by endorsing her in 2016. Now, she’s overcome her worry. Might all of us do the identical.
A fan of musician Taylor Swift on the conference ground through the Democratic Nationwide Conference in Chicago.
(Francis Chung / Politico by way of AP Photos)
This made me cry.
As everyone knows, Taylor Swift endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris after her debate tour de power Tuesday night time. In its report on the endorsement, The New York Instances identified that Swift has develop into extra politically concerned in current election cycles, reminding us that Swift didn’t endorse Hillary Clinton in 2016.
“Swift…shared issues that public criticism of her on the time can be unfairly utilized to Ms. Clinton as nicely,” the Instances reported, occurring to cite Swift:
“The summer season earlier than that election, all individuals have been saying was, ‘She’s calculated. She’s manipulative. She’s not what she appears. She’s a snake. She’s a liar.’ These are the identical precise insults individuals have been hurling at Hillary. Would I be an endorsement or would I be a legal responsibility?”
Swift was 26 on the time. Why did she must assume via misogynistic equations like that? I imply, I do know why I do. I simply thought it could be higher by now (she and my daughter are virtually precisely the identical age).
However perhaps it lastly did simply get higher.
I felt a lot reduction final night time and this morning too. Kamala Harris gained the controversy with Donald Trump overwhelmingly. She did virtually all the pieces proper. Once you’re a girl, you internalize that feeling that “she would possibly fuck it up for all of us.” Or in some conditions, that you just would possibly do the identical factor.
Present Difficulty
Harris didn’t.
It was a grasp class in being a girl absolutely inhabiting your personal… I used to be gonna say house, but in addition face. That smiling, obvious, mocking, all-knowing, additionally stunning face. Harris was not afraid to be herself.
Grasp GOP manipulator Frank Luntz acquired rightfully dragged on social media for one of many dumbest posts I’ve ever seen: “If she desires to win, Harris wants to coach her face to not reply. It feeds right into a feminine stereotype and, extra importantly, dangers offending undecided voters.”
Frank, you’ll want to prepare your mind to reply logically, with out your ingrained misogyny. ABC wouldn’t accede to her request to maintain each candidates mics on, so Harris stored her face on. And we noticed all the pieces she was considering.
There’s a take on the market, that Harris is surpassing Hillary Clinton by not emphasizing her gender. There’s no extra “I’m along with her” or speak about “the best, hardest glass ceiling.” There are too many examples of this argument for me to hyperlink to; I noticed Ashley Parker of The Washington Submit go on about this approvingly on MSNBC Tuesday.
It sort of makes me sick.
Common
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However perhaps our first feminine vp doesn’t have to make that case. In spite of everything, 1000’s of her supporters are doing that for her. Perhaps she is aware of we internalized that brutal, surprising loss in 2016 (when Harris gained her California Senate seat, and by her personal account, inhaled a bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos). Perhaps we don’t want to speak anymore about whether or not we have been on the Javits Middle that terrible night time.
When your walk-on track is Beyoncé’s “Freedom,” perhaps you understand you don’t must make a giant deal about your gender, or your race. No person’s gonna miss it. Abruptly, Taylor Swift feels free to endorse you—unburdened by what has been, not nervous that she would possibly harm you with the bags she carries. As a result of she will let go of it. And so can we.
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Onwards,
Katrina vanden Heuvel
Editorial Director and Writer, The Nation
