As Rich and Jim have already noted, today’s New York Times piece on Kamala Harris’s sagging political fortunes is a must-read. I only want to quickly note something funny that stood out to me at first glance. The caption below the lead photo — picturing a smiling Harris surrounded by fans — reads: “Kamala Harris has made history as the first woman to serve as vice president, but she has yet to define herself beyond that legacy.”
I wonder if that might have something to do with the fact that Kamala Harris was primarily picked because she was a woman, with very little attention paid to any distinguishing characteristics beyond said womanhood. If your obsession with “making history” by appointing the first [X identity trait here] — the first woman; the first black woman; the first asexual queer-identifying green-eyed indigenous Hawaiian androgyne — leads you to prioritize that over competence and merit, don’t expect your picks to automatically be the most competent and meritorious individuals for the job.