Analysis of Harris’s Decision to Backtrack on Race and Gender; Rebuttal to Trump’s ‘Go Black’ Slur During CNN Interview

In her first interview since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, Kamala Harris didn’t delve much into the discussion of her race and gender.

Asked by CNN’s Dana Basha in regards to the historic nature of her candidacy, who noted that Harris didn’t “explicitly” mention her identity as a Black and South Asian woman during her speech on the Democratic National Convention, the vp responded, “I am running because I believe I am the best person to do this job at this moment for the good of all Americans, regardless of race or gender.”

A photograph of Harris’ great-granddaughter watching her speech on the Democratic National Convention went viral, sparking euphoria amongst women and communities of color who see Harris’ presidential bid as a turning point in American political history.

Harris said she was “deeply touched” by the sentimental photograph, adding that it was “very humbling” for her in some ways.

“We see it. You see her. Despite what Donald Trump says,” Olasanoye said, referring to her Republican opponent’s suggestion that Harris, the daughter of an Indian mother and Jamaican father, had decided to “become black” for political expediency.

Asked about Trump’s insult, which he made in response to a matter about Harris being called a “DEI hire” on the National Association of Black Journalists convention, the vp was short and to the purpose: “Same old, tired strategy. Next question, please.”

Political analyst Anthony Coley said Harris’ response reminded him of former first lady Michelle Obama’s famous line: “When they go low, we go high.”

Democrats imagine one of the best message to voters is to focus less on her identity as a black woman — and the attacks that include it — and more on her ability to do the job.

During her speech on the DNC last week, Michelle Obama dismissed Trump’s “narrow view of the world,” as evidenced by his attacks on the racial identity of her husband, former President Barack Obama, and, most recently, Harris. Mrs. Obama said Trump is “threatened by the existence of two hard-working, educated, successful people who happen to be Black.” In what has since gone viral, Obama added: “Who’s to say that the job he’s looking for right now might be one of those Black jobs?”

“Michelle Obama was right,” Olasanoye said. “I hope we’ve gotten to a place in our political system where there’s no such thing as a black job, and a black job, quote, unquote, can be any job, including the presidency of the United States.”

He said Harris’s lack of acceptance of her identity “is not about a reluctance to acknowledge its historical character, but rather about normalizing it.”

Olasanoye said the more time the country spends discussing Trump’s “old, rehashed” attacks, the less time there’s to discuss “the future of this country” and where Harris and her vice presidential running mate, Tim Walz, want to take it.

During the prime-time interview, Harris criticized Trump for ushering in a decade-long era of what’s “antithetical to the true spirit of our country” and blamed Trump’s “mismanagement” of the COVID-19 pandemic for the economy’s woes and high costs.

While she acknowledged that the Biden-Harris administration’s economic policies have led to a faster economic recovery for America than “any rich country in the world,” Harris acknowledged that the costs of basic goods are still too high and that her policy agenda will drive costs down even further.

“She’s right to recognize that some people are still hurting and are feeling the very real effects of inflation,” said Coley, a former Biden-Harris Justice Department official. “It’s also important to remind voters how bad the economy she and Biden inherited was, and that while it’s not what we want it to be, it’s gotten much better because of their stewardship.”

“Donald Trump is the only president in almost 100 years to walk out of the Oval Office with fewer jobs than the economy had when he walked in,” said Olasanoye, who noted that 1,000,000 Americans died throughout the pandemic when Trump “made us drink bleach… to make COVID go away.”

Olasanoye said Harris has been “effective” in discussing the economy. He noted that while the Federal Reserve prepares to lower rates of interest, which would supply relief to tens of millions of Americans, Democrats must proceed to “attack this cost issue in a real way.”

He added: “She has a plan to do it… she needs to go out and sell that plan.”

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