At a rally on Saturday night in Michigan, the former first lady reflected, with palpable disbelief and outrage, on the double standard she believes Harris faces. “When you lay out the options, this choice isn’t even close,” Obama told the crowd. “But whether it’s online or in the media or in our social circles, there are folks who say they’re not sure about Kamala. They accuse her of not providing enough policy detail. Some wonder: Do we really know her? Is she too aggressive? Is she not aggressive enough? There are folks sowing seeds of doubt about whether she’s who she appears to be. “Voters have every right to ask hard questions of any candidate seeking office,” she continued, “but can someone tell me why we are once again holding Kamala to a higher standard than her opponent?”
The question suggested an impatience not just with this campaign, but with the entire political career of Donald Trump, and the perception that he has now twice competed against accomplished female politicians who faced scrutiny and doubts that Trump, time and again, is allowed to escape.
Obama and other prominent Democrats are now, in the final stretch of the campaign, giving voice to a frustration that has animated many Harris supporters from the get-go. Some frame it explicitly as a matter of race; others argue that the imbalance is ultimately a function of Trump, whose unfettered political style and erratic speechifying have defied conventions and confounded efforts to hold him responsible, accountability lost in a fog of euphemism.
Trump supporters, including some commentators who acknowledge his inarticulate free associations, say the real double standard at work is a liberal press that gives Harris a free pass while seizing on every utterance of Trump as evidence of a slipping mind, or fascist inclinations, or criminality. Last month, after a second assassination attempt on Trump, his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, assailed the media in a post on the social media platform X for what he described as a “breathtaking” double standard, downplaying the threat to Trump while blaming the Republican ticket for the impact of violent rhetoric.
Many of the questions Harris has faced are not unusual for major political campaigns. She has repeatedly been asked to explain her change of heart on issues such as fracking, and her record as district attorney in San Francisco. She has been criticised for not speaking more precisely about the war in the Gaza Strip. And she has been questioned about her role in the Biden administration’s policy on the southern border.
But when reporters note her weaknesses in interviews, or when voters say they need more information about her policy positions, Harris’ supporters throw up their hands. To them, Trump’s very candidacy, after he was impeached for inciting insurrection, seems unfathomable. Harris herself has taken pains to avoid discussing any disparity.
Harris may not have the luxury of frustration — this itself, of course, might be considered a central component of the double standard — but Obama does. She is one of the most beloved members of the Democratic Party. And, with her husband’s political career behind her, she can afford to let loose, even if it means pointedly criticising the public. On Saturday, she did not outright accuse anybody of racism, but she made it clear she saw these forces lurking beneath the surface.
“We expect her to be intelligent and articulate, to have a clear set of policies, to never show too much anger, to prove time and time again that she belongs,” Obama said. “But for Trump, we expect nothing at all. No understanding of policy, no ability to put together a coherent argument, no honesty, no decency, no morals.” Harris is leaving it to her surrogates and supporters to argue about the fairness of the game. — The New York Times
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
