Why the White House needs a feminist foot soldier
Hillary Rodham-Clinton has been a mainstay in US politics for three decades; her clout is undeniable, and she single-handedly balanced the budget in the early 1990s whilst her husband was president. But she should not be President, or even VP.
To Americans, she represents a stale, old, white and privileged system which claims to work for the people but really only works for the top echelon of society. So why is Kamala different?
Like Hillary, she too is from a legal background (and a highly successful one at that!) and she too is married to a powerful man, however one cannot ignore the fact that Kamala is just… better.
Her tireless efforts in areas such as tax reform, the federal deregulation of cannabis, women’s reproductive rights and autonomy, and the protection of undocumented immigrants has shown the United States what true political activism looks like.
The White House needs a feminist foot soldier, especially since Michelle Obama’s departure, and Kamala is just the person for the job. After four years of vitriol, volatility and vehement, unabashed ignorance, Kamala represents all that is good in America, and all the good that can be brought about given the right circumstances and the right motivation.
In light of the increasingly evident institutionalised racism of police officers and forces across the US, how else can people of colour feel like their government is dedicated to change if they’re all old, white, male career politicians?
Even Joe Biden, as dedicated and passionate as he is, is still an old, white, male career politician, which is why Kamala is such a valuable asset to the Democratic party.
She represents hope, she represents change, but, most importantly, she represents equality.
She is well-liked and well-respected- but why?
We seldom hear ‘likeability’ used in reference to male candidates; we hear about strong leadership styles and no-nonsense attitudes, but those same traits serve to make women unlikeable (just ask Hillary).
Why do people like Kamala as much as they do?
Her debate with Mike Pence may help us understand. She was the epitome of dignity, never losing her cool, or her train of thought for that matter. The media may have unofficially decided that Pence ‘won’ the debate, but to the victor go the spoils, and Kamala won in the end.
For the first time in what feels like an age, Americans will have a taste of what living in the Land of the Free should feel like.