Black persons are never “amazing” and barely “great.”

As unbelievable as they might be as black elders—especially within the South—they rarely admit it. Even of their best emotional and physical shape, they are sometimes reluctant to disrupt their current state of equilibrium. That is why, when asked how they’re, they often respond with a location-dependent, colourful expression that describes a state somewhere between “Can’t complain” (I’m doing pretty much, thanks) and “Can’t name it” (it’s not that bad). At best, they’re “okay.”

In Georgia, someone who’s having a wonderfully reasonable day is “just making things happen the way they do.” If the present state of being of a New Yorker is relevant enough, they may inform you that they’re “just keeping things going.” In addition to “The white man ain’t killed me yet,” there may be a preferred colloquialism commonly used amongst black South Carolinians (and doubtless other Southerners; I haven’t seen the information from the Blitz poll, so I can’t name it) that completely describes Kamala Harris’ performance within the presidential debate:

“I just stay on track.”

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According to the Washington Post, “Harris dominated Trump.”Politico experts concluded that “Harris won the debate — and without much success.My colleague Toure said, “Kamala wiped the floor with it.” Even political newcomers are hailing Harris’ debate performance as a rout not seen since a tourist in Montgomery, Alabama, turned a folding chair into Thor’s hammer.

It was good.

In all fairness, those that claim Harris beat Trump like he stole something (the election, perhaps) usually are not unsuitable. He was indignant, flailing, and agitated for a lot of the debate; she was composed and had a message. Trump spewed disgusting, racist, absurd conspiracy theories like Joe Rogan had a baby with Marjorie Taylor Greene, while Harris stuck to her guns. She was intelligent, articulate, and, more importantly, presidential. On the opposite hand, there is simply one strategy to put it senile the youthful aggressive incompetence that characterised the behavior of Harris’ defeated opponent:

Donald Trump was Donald Trump.

To paraphrase the late, great orator Dennis Green:They were what we thought they were.” Harris is a profession politician who currently holds the second-highest office within the U.S. government. In the twenty years that Harris has served in elected office, nobody has credibly accused her of being unqualified or unprepared. She figuratively stepped into the ring with Trump and delivered a technical knockout, but her debate performance was not “amazing” or “incredible”; it was Kamala Harris-esque. She performed like a prosecutor, senator, or politician who has never lost a race in her entire profession. She looked just like the President of the United States debating a entitled, inept, racist, over-the-top liar who makes up for his political ineptitude by being racist and lying loads.

Still, Harris’ performance wasn’t flawless. She deftly dodged questions she didn’t need to answer. When asked about race, she gave only boilerplate answers. She omitted her position on financing the genocide in Palestine. Sdidn’t refute Trump’s idiotic economic argument that foreign governments pay tariffs, not American consumersUltimately, she behaved like an expert politician.

Given her uninformed opponent, it’s likely that Kamala Harris has realized that she doesn’t should deal with policy or oppose Trump’s ever-changing, sometimes preposterous policy positions. Anyone who has studied Donald Trump’s political profession knows that he’s not quite the “stable genius” he’s been disguised as by bandaged-eared, sunglasses-wearing rallygoers. Just as a Ferrari owner doesn’t should worry about losing a race to an Uber driver in a Nissan Altima, voters understand that Trump’s entire policy approach is sort of a preschooler fidgeting with bumper cars within the parking zone of the state fair. She knew the one way she could lose was if she crashed her automobile.

Ultimately, Harris’ landslide victory likely didn’t change the minds of most voters. Neither logic, nor politics, nor the power to form complete sentences will persuade MAGA voters who imagine that Haitian immigrants with jobs and access to grocery stores are out to get cats that they slow-cook of their Walmart slow cookers. And since Harris and Trump have been candidates for national political office for nearly a decade (Trump as president and Harris for the USA Senate), even the mythical undecided voters didn’t wait to see who would win the 2-hour rhetorical fencing contest designed to decide on a side in an important presidential race in modern history.

This wasn’t a political debate. It was a television program.

And yes, Kamala Harris’ debate performance was still essential. Unlike Donald Trump, Kamala Harris doesn’t have the privilege of floating through life, oozing incompetence, ignorance, and public incoherence. To emerge victorious in November, she must do what presidential candidates are alleged to do. She should be articulate, calm, and factually correct when she shows up at debates that don’t matter. She must provide intelligible answers in interviews with mainstream media. Harris cannot raise her voice or interrupt white people or whirl around like a coke-addled Tasmanian devil when she is known as names. Because she is black, a girl, she should be reasonable, rational, and presidential every second of daily, including last night’s debate.

Luckily Kamala Harris

Sadly, it doesn’t matter that Harris’ opponent is a narrow-minded, scatterbrained, wannabe dictator who’s the living, respiration embodiment of Trump. Despite Trump being dragged around like a black kid showing off in a food market, still a near majority of white individuals who witnessed his nationally televised beating will still vote for the spoiled, tantrum-throwing, whiny child. Make that make sense.

For most individuals of color in America, excellence is a requirement, nevertheless it doesn’t routinely translate into success. Being amazing doesn’t guarantee victory. Still, for those who’re black in America, you possibly can’t complain; you possibly can only sustain. Ultimately, last night, Kamala Harris did what all black people do. So while I understand why people described her debate performance as “excellent” and “amazing,” I also know the way…

And a few of us are only waiting our turn.

Michael Harriot is an economist, cultural critic, and master Spades player. His New York Times bestseller is out there wherever books are sold.