“Americans Need To Accept That Racism Is Rampant in the United States”: If Kamala Harris Were a White Man, She Would Be More Popular, Says Stacey Abrams

Michelle MeyerNov 8, 2023

Minute Read

Former Georgia State Representative Stacey Abrams says Vice President Kamala Harris would not have to deal with as much criticism if she were White and male.

The Person Behind the Person

Abrams, like many, believes that Harris faces such severe criticism because of racism and misogyny. Speaking to MSNBC, she said: “We will always question the person behind the person but we cannot ignore the misogyny and racism [that] remain very prevalent in our politics.”

Inextricably Linked To Race and Gender

Abrams continued: “For those behaviors that don’t rise to either misogyny or racism, there’s also just a difference. Our expectations are set for the traditional White male vice president. It’s what it’s always been. We are not always great with new. But more importantly, I know if you filter through the critiques, if you think about how she is castigated, it is inextricably linked to race and gender.”

Ron Klain on Harris

Abrams isn’t the only one with these concerns. Ron Klain, Biden’s former chief of staff, previously said: “I do think sexism and racism are part of the problem, no question about it. She was not as well known in national politics before she became vice president and I think that she hasn’t gotten the credit for all that she’s done. She makes a major contribution to the administration and I think, hopefully, she’ll get more and more recognized for that.”

The History of Misogyny and Sexism

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Lawyer, journalist, and TV host Sunny Hostin previously put Harris’ unpopularity down to bigotry too. She said: “We’re in the United States of America and Black women, and this is not just me saying it – I mean, there have been studies – Black women are considered less articulate. They are considered uglier. They are considered all of these things by this country. And it’s because of the history, of course, of misogyny and sexism.”

A Drop in Popularity

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Both Harris and President Biden have seen a drop in popularity recently, according to polls. A recent one suggested that criminal defendant Donald Trump would beat Biden in five battleground states.

The Internet’s Response

Harris’ unpopularity is something that’s been discussed and debated in detail across the internet. Plenty of commenters agree with people like Abrams, Hostin, and Klain. Others say the situation is more nuanced.

A Multitude of Factors

Quite a few people believe that, while racism and sexism are definitely at play, a multitude of factors contribute to the vice president’s unpopularity. Lots of commenters discussed her lack of charisma and career as a prosecutor.

A Far-Left Opinion

One social media commenter said: “As someone on the far-left, I have quite a few disagreements with her on policy and governance based on her record as a prosecutor and AG.”

Transparently Void of Substance

The commenter continued: “But I’ll speak on the primal lizard brain reaction level. Honestly, she’s just transparently void of substance. Why is she in politics? What are her motivating principles? She seems like a ladder climber with no real commitments beyond getting to the next rung.”

Not Very Bright

The commenter concluded: “That’s true for many politicians, of course, but Harris has a very noxious combination of traits that make it nearly impossible for her to cover up the lack of substance to her character: She’s uncharismatic, she’s kind of arrogant, and she’s just not all that bright. Any time she’s interviewed, all of that comes out and it’s cringeworthy.”

A Good School

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Replying to the aforementioned individual, another person said: “I can agree with her lack of charisma but most politicians come off as arrogant and she did graduate from a good school and has her JD and passed the bar exam. She’s certainly bright when it comes to law, where she’s been her entire career. She shined in Senate hearings’ questioning.”

A Double Standard

Continuing, the commenter wrote: “Similarly to Hillary and AOC, Kamala Harris has had a negative campaign being run on her by the right for years. Some of their memes have taken hold, such as sleeping her way to the AG office. Being a career climber doesn’t seem to matter if you are male. No one mentions Brett Kavanaugh seemed to be making decisions so he could be on the SCOTUS. No one mentions John Corryn climbing the rungs to become senator. As AG, she made some questionable legal decisions. However, she was the top law enforcement officer in the state.”

Sexism and Racism

The commenter finished by addressing potential bigotry: “There is likely sexism and possibly racism when it comes to opinions of Kamala Harris. If Harris were a male politician, would those same things – lack of charisma, arrogance, not that bright – bother them? I doubt it.”

Biden Has Always Been Well-Liked

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Another individual wrote: “Some of it is racism and sexism. A lot of it is that Biden, in his prime, was extremely charismatic and Harris just isn’t. Biden has also been around for a long time and has always been well-liked.”

A Lack of Charisma

Plenty of people mentioned a lack of charisma: “Racism and sexism clearly play some role but you can’t just write the whole thing off as that without acknowledging some of her very real political and personal shortcomings. There are two layers to her – the public and private side. Publicly, she’s not a particularly charismatic politician. At least not compared to many who reach a national position – think Obama, Clinton, Biden. She’s not a populist.”

Lacking a Core Ideology

The commenter continued: “She doesn’t seem to have a core ideology or guiding compass aside from advancement of her own ambition, which rubs a lot of people the wrong way – but to be fair, that describes many politicians and that it sticks out more with her is indicative of where implicit bias might come into play. She was a career prosecutor, which earns her few fans on the progressive wing of the left. She’s overrun in the centrist lane. She doesn’t really seem to stand out in any particular way in that regard.”

A Nightmare To Work For

Going on to discuss the private side of Harris, the aforementioned individual said: “Privately, it’s been reported that she can be a nightmare to work for. She reportedly will not read her briefs or adequately prepare for an event such as an interview or speech. Then she’ll fumble and then she’ll chew out her staff – those who worked hard to prepare her for it.”

Many Valid Criticisms

Another person wrote: “I think a lot of Americans need to accept that racism is rampant in the United States. Of course it’s contributing to Harris’ unpopularity. That being said, there are many valid criticisms too, like how she was as a prosecutor.”