Wiki defines a “Sister Souljah moment” as one coming at “a key [point] when the candidate takes what appears to be a bold stand against certain extremes within their party as a denunciation of an extremist position.” The description further explains, “It is intended to signal to centrist voters that the politician is not beholden to extreme positions…” If one accepts the definition, Kamala Harris may just have had her Sister Souljah moment. Ideally, it will work as well for her as it did for Bill Clinton – the man who invented “Sister Souljah” and scandalous moments. He also won.
To be sure, President Joe Biden is not an extremist, at least not as seen by anyone on the left. But Joe certainly did take an extreme and extremely stupid stance when responding to Donald Trump’s stupid rally at which a comedian referred to Puerto Rico as floating trash. Biden said:
“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters – his– his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American. It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been.”
Biden is going to be Biden – putting his foot in his mouth is in his genes. Prior to running for the executive branch, Joe Biden may have been the most well-liked politician of either side. Lindsey Graham was brought to tears for a reason. But everyone understood that Biden – God bless him – was more prone to “gaffes” than… well, even a comedian. Biden’s statement violated a rule last spectacularly broken by Hillary Clinton – who may well have lost the election when she called one-third of Trump voters “deplorables.” You do not put American voters down. Ever.
Joe knows better and the White House quickly walked the statement back but the damage was done, very done. Harris moved quickly and decisively and in doing so embraced her own Sister Souljah moment by saying:
“President Biden since this comment last night about garbage. He clarified his comments.” Then she drew clear distance from the president.”
True, but… Oh, she had more:
“But let me be clear. I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for. As you heard in my speech last night and continuously throughout my career, I believe that the work that I do, it’s about representing all the people, whether they support me or not.”
Harris just went on record as also Vice-President to “strongly disagree” with the actual president for whom she works. That – you will note, is as rare as it was needed. She then pledged to work for all Americans without regard to partisan politics.
She did have a choice. Knowing that there was risk either way, Harris could have waited, not wanting to upset the Democratic “family” and see if anyone was even listening to Joe Biden anymore and whether they might take notice. She could have hoped to afford some time, knowing she could try to walk the statement back if it got bad.
She did not wait. Thankfully, Harris immediately recognized that one cannot walk a scandal back once it becomes a thing. At that point, the damage may already be done. Ask Donald Trump, who did the opposite with respect to the floating garbage comment by letting it go on and grow a life of its own.
So Harris got ahead of it. If anyone heard the comment and took notice and-or offense, he or she will hear Harris’s counter. From this point forward, if one hears about “trash” it will almost surely be limited to comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s comment.
It is too bad that it took an evolving scandal to do so but Harris did need a singular moment to break from Biden and become her own candidate with her own potential administration. It doesn’t matter that Biden has been fantastic as a one-term president, he’s gotten so much passed. At some point, she has to provide her own concrete stamp with an independent message to voters, one in which she fully comes into her own, even if it comes at the expense of her current boss.
It took some guts. Joe Biden is the leader of the Democratic party until someone takes the mantle. Yet Harris did it because she does have guts, enough to win that vote and the banner. She found her independence at just the right time and now must independently stave off Donald Trump’s fight for the Oval Office. That would also be quite the moment, sister.
God Bless: I can be reached at [email protected] and @JasonMiciak
Fux snooz had President Biden’s comment playing nonstop. Crickets about VP Harris’ response. But every magat had a microphone thrust in front of them and had something to add. It is not forgotten, nor will it be. It doesn’t matter what orange jeebus says or does regarding Democratic voters. But one little comment that was a President Biden gaff and it is over. Geez…
I defere to none in my appreciation of old Joe but that was a ridiculously stupid comment and he did look particularly old in giving it, as if he weren’t quite on at the time.
Fucking amazing the dumb-ass high bar set for dems/women/p.o.c./etc. by media. Need to be rid of these fucking leeches.
The bar is set high for us and laid on the ground for them.
Saying that something is dumb has nothing to do with party. Nothing. It was not smart at all for Biden to put voters down, it just wasn’t.
That has nothing to do with comparing parties. We set our own standards in everything.
Ask Kamala, not me. It was something she had to draw a line on and did. Perfect for her, but stupid of Joe. Don’t worry about who compares who to what.
jason
Why is the sky always falling around here? Did you forget Biden’s stutter? There’s a missing apostrophe when he’s talking about Trump supporters’ rhetoric. Biden was clearly condemning their words, not them. Here’s the transcript:
“Well, let me tell you something. I don’t — I — I don’t know the Puerto Rican that — that I know —or a Puerto Rico, where I’m fr— in my home state of Delaware, they’re good, decent, honorable people. The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter’s — his — his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American. It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been.”
You remember that stutter now? The one the right always uses to portray him as unfit? Nice job perpetuating the stereotype.
Hardly a sky is falling moment. Look at my praise of Harris’s response.
As for Joe – it was definitely not a stutter. It was a massive mistake and he knew it nearly immediately. He didn’t look great in doing so.
I know what’s in all our hearts but I have to stay strickly in my head to be nuetral in the evaluation or all you’re going to hear is rah rah stuff.
That’s all I can offer. I did note that she handled things perfectly – so there’s that.
jason