If you turned on your television recently, you may have discovered a rare treat: grown-ups running for president! Yay!
Two nights of debates featured a crowded field of Democrats. Each of them would make a better president than Donald Trump, but the standouts were Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris.
Warren dominated the “polite night.” Her wonky, “I have a plan for that,” professorial style perfectly complimented her folksy personality and clear commitment to representing everyday Americans.
Trump’s racist “Pocahontas” insults were blissfully absent during this debate because Democrats aren’t racist jerks. And Warren didn’t mention Trump once, proving that she’s a formidable candidate in her own right, not just in contrast with the anomaly in the White House.
Last year, Warren was criticized for her ancestry reveal. But her results confirmed what her family told her growing up: She has some Native American ancestry. She claims she hasn’t used that ancestry to gain unfair advantage in school, work, or politics — despite dishonest claims from Republican detractors.
Imagine Trump repeatedly tossing out his racist nickname during a general election debate against Warren. He’d look like a spoiled toddler next to a responsible adult. The only people who like Trump’s insults are just as childish as he is. Everyone with any sense is justifiably horrified.
The second night of debates was feistier. Harris was able to stand out with a combination of toughness, optimism, and a personal storytelling style. The key moment occurred when Harris directly addressed Joe Biden regarding busing in the 1970s. As a young senator, Biden opposed federally mandated busing while Harris, as a young child, benefited from the improved educational opportunity busing provided.
Harris showed guts confronting a beloved political icon, along with optimism that American government can be a force for good in our everyday lives. And she did so without giving Republicans ammunition against Biden, who may still be the nominee looking for a younger running mate.
Harris skillfully kept that door open while pushing both shoulders firmly into the top tier of candidates. Biden, to his credit, also didn’t lash out but defended his decades of strong civil rights support. Again, it’s nice to see adults running for president.
The reaction to Harris’s strong debate has ranged widely. Detractors point to her prosecutor’s background as evidence that she’s not a true liberal. This misguided purity test assumes that liberals are against the rule of law, which is a false stereotype from dishonest Republicans.
Democrats have always believed we are a nation of laws. We just want wise laws that are enforced fairly. These days, Republicans seem only to care about laws that force women to give birth or put immigrant children into cages.
Trump, of course, is the poster child for lawlessness. According to numerous news reports, as a private citizen, he broke laws to satisfy his lust for money and power. He hired untold numbers of undocumented immigrants, skirted regulations, defrauded customers and contractors, and lied about his finances to manipulate the system.
As a candidate, he broke campaign finance laws and colluded with foreign adversaries. (Yes he did. read the Mueller report.) As president, he ignores established legal procedures, defies lawful investigations, and obstructs justice (again, read the damned report).
In short, Trump’s a crook. Raise your hand if you’d love to see a prosecutor take on Trump in the general election. A criminal president who also happens to be a racist, sexist, regressive, accused rapist, wanna-be dictator deserves to be confronted by a tough prosecutor who also happens to be a liberal, dark-skinned, strong woman.
Harris and Warren already have Republicans panicking. They’ve redoubled their slurs against Warren, even trying to tie her Native American heritage with claims that she’ll pretend to be black to get “reparation checks.”
My Republican coworker recently reposted Facebook memes that show Warren with an exaggerated afro hairstyle and feathered headdress. If his goal was to super-size his racism, mission accomplished.
And Harris has recently been attacked as not black enough because her father is Jamaican and her mother is Indian. Even Donald Trump Jr. recently join this racist attack. That race-baiting apple didn’t fall far from the father birther tree.
Casual racism against Warren and Harris even sullied the Gazette recently. Columnist Jay Fleitman quipped in his latest piece, “Or was Warren the one who was bused to white schools and Harris is a Cherokee? I can’t keep it straight.”
Fleitman would surely decry race-baiting attacks on a Republican candidate, but he thinks it’s funny regarding Democrats. Trump has given Republicans such as Fleitman permission to flaunt their own racial insensitivity. Is America great again yet?
Despite their early successes, Warren or Harris may not get the nomination. Biden still leads the polls with Bernie Sanders lurking. Buttigieg, Booker and Castro all had strong debates — although they seem to be running for vice president or 2024.
Trump is beatable, but what’s the best approach? Will we need a crusty old white man to thrash a racist old white man? A professor to oust an underachieving rich jerk? A prosecutor to convict a crook? One thing is certain: We’ll all need to be grown-ups and vote to send the toddler back to the kids’ table where he belongs.
John Sheirer is an author and teacher who lives in Florence. His most recent book is “Donald Trump’s Top Secret Concession Speech.” Find him at JohnSheirer.com.