It’s not a question you would think of coming from a male in his thirties, but it is the question that I ponder the most as it relates to this election. I will admit that I was more than joyous to cast my vote for HRC in 2016 and wanted to see the tides of American leadership change forever. Now, with the choice returning to two old white men in 2020, I have continuously dreamt of another path. A path that I think is near.
Going into this election process I had great hope for Biden being the most known candidate. The more I looked at it though, the more I could tell I wanted the change we were voting for 4 years ago. I wanted to see the first female president. I wasn’t sure who that should be. I just knew it’s what I was dreaming of. I was hoping to see the leader who wasn’t going to brag about every upcoming decision, a woman will just get it done and move to the next task. I was hoping for a leader who wouldn’t be surrounded by yes-men, a woman will want all of the information available to get it right instead of being right. I was hoping to see worldwide coalitions re-formed and strengthened, a woman will not be intimidated by the number of female leaders across the globe. I wanted to see the change that comes from a mom who has had “the talk” with her son, a black mom will demand the racial change that we need.
With all of the women running for the Democratic nomination, I above everything else was hoping for the redo to correct 2016 and where it had lead. I still think that is possible. It might not be with the choice between these two candidates, but where the choice can lead. My hope is it becomes a result of this election.
One of the things that scares my conservative friends about a Biden/Harris election is the thing that I think could lead to 2024 being the year of the WOMAN. They see Biden as a puppet for the left-wing of the Democratic Party. I see Biden as the stop gap for where we are heading, and also the person who will hold the door open for the people he has worked alongside. The choice of Kamala Harris is the perfect example of this to me. They may have debated harshly in the primary process, but his choice of her for VP shows he’s also looking to the future of the party. The coalition in the party in this election has showed Biden is going to hold the door open to get everyone in, and involved. I know it hasn’t been answered if he were to win if he would seek a second term. I don’t think it would be necessary. He could restart a progressive movement that we now know will take great work to continue.
However, not only will it take great work, we may need a little momentum on our side. Going through this election it is very evident that the most sought after segment of voters is women. And, if 2024 were to set up with both tickets having female candidates, the momentum of having the first black woman VP could prove massive. In 2024 if both parties do take this route, they also will know that they are dividing the largest voting segment. It wouldn’t be a 50/50 split, but it would be split enough to force strategic choices to bring in the rest of the population. Having Kamala as VP for the upcoming four years could be the piece that tips the scales in 2024. Even if she were to not be the nominee to replace Biden, having her be the face of female Democratic leadership until then will make a subconscious influence on the minds of voters. This influence could be the momentum necessary to block a patriarchal attempt to control that election.
I worry that if we have the movement toward two female candidates, one party’s strategists will push for a candidate that will win votes before she ever speaks. (If you are a woman reading this, you know where I’m going.) I worry that male party leaders will push for a woman who will be judged first by her beauty, and second by her brain. They will want male voters to make their choice based on appearance, not on policy. So, having the woman who is closest to upcoming policy would be huge. Having a candidate who can point to her work while the other is pushed into a beauty pageant will tap into those subconscious influences and inform decisions. I know that there will be some men who, if choosing between two women, will only vote with their eyes and not their ears/minds. I just hope it wouldn’t be enough to decide a presidential election. I also wouldn’t want to take that chance, I will be voting for what I hope will be the biggest step toward one giant leap for womankind.
Voting for Biden/Harris may be a vote for decency. It may be a vote for empathy. It may be a vote for compassion. It may be a vote for normality. It may be a vote against the other guy. For me, it is a vote for future momentum. It is the vote that could decide 2024 before 2020 is finished.
Changed So Much! 