As I type this, Joe Biden has 264 votes (per NPR) and is projected to win Nevada putting him at 270 without the results of Pennsylvania and Georgia, two other states with very close margins that Joe Biden has flipped. Maybe it’s dicey, but I’m keeping a positive mindset and willing this to happen. My heart is racing and I’ve spent my morning bursting into random tears as I hear updates. Perhaps it’s anxiety, or maybe tears of joy. Maybe the tears stem from feeling trapped and hopeless for the last four years and finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I know Joe won’t fix it all, and that’s fine. But I do think he’ll bring some balance to this broken country.
But this isn’t about Joe. He is merely a footnote in what I’d like to talk about.
In 2016 I was able to vote for a woman running for president for the first time in my life. It was a moment I would never forget because I was so proud. I felt seen. I was represented.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg famously said “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.” So to not have a female candidate until 2016 was a disgrace. We all know exactly how that turned out, and I’d rather not rehash the pain because this is not about Hillary Clinton or Ruth Bader Ginsburg either.
Leading into the 2020 Election season, I supported Elizabeth Warren. Kamala Harris sat comfortably in my top three. And I would support the Democratic nominee no matter what. While I was less than thrilled with the idea of another old white man (Jay Inslee excluded because he’s a babe for his age), I felt a glimmer of hope when Joe announced he would select a female running mate. The announcement of Kamala satisfied me and I was ready to roll. I donated, did some phone and text banking and picked up a yard sign.
In January, Kamala will become the first woman sworn in as Vice President of the United States. She will be the first African American woman to be Vice President of the United States. She will be the first South Asian American woman to be Vice President of the United States. At any point in the next four years, she can take the helm and become the first female President of the United States. Something I’ve only been able to dream of so far. News I can share with my seven year old daughter that informed me that she is bored of boys being President and was thrilled to learn of Kamala.
Read that last paragraph again and take a deep, calming breath. This is history in front of your eyes. I can’t speak for all women, as I’m very much a white, European and Canadian woman that doesn’t feel comfortable claiming her Native American roots because they are so miniscule. That being said, I can speak for a lot of women that have been waiting for this day for their entire lives. Kamala Harris should be celebrated. She is an inspiration whether or not you agree with her political views or her past. Little girls everywhere can finally look to her as someone who made it to one of the highest positions of power in the United States. These little girls, our future, can realize that they too can make it there. Kamala is a trailblazer just like Shirely Chisholm and Hillary Clinton. Add Stacey Abrams to that list too, as she pushed Georgia. (We owe Black women the world.) I am proud to call her Madam Vice President Kamala Harris.
Mother F****** GIRL POWER!