From Biden’s Exit to Harris’s Rise
At 1:45 P.M. of July 21st of 2024, the senior staff of Joe Biden was notified that he was dropping and no longer a part of the 2024 presidential election. At 1:46 P.M., the news was open to notify the public.
Though half a century of effort was dedicated to Joe Biden’s rise to American politics, his fall, in comparison, was very short. However, Biden’s intention was never to leave the race. The center point of Joe Biden’s decision to step out was the presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden on June 27 of 2024. The disastrous debate quickly turned into dramatic changes in his perspective. He silently reflected from the last few weeks of continued disasters to his half-century career in American politics. He further finalized his decision while battling COVID-19 in his vacation home located in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, as the first lady and a group of trusted companions talked him through it. He later published a farewell letter to Americans, publicly announcing his drop out.
READ FULL VERSION OF JOE BIDEN’S LETTER HERE
Kamala Harris, former vice president during Joe Biden’s term, became the new candidate for the presidential election of 2024, replacing Joe Biden. Harris’ further rise in politics was followed by Ohio Senator JD Vance’s highly controversial label of prominent Democrat as “childless cat ladies” has motivated fury among women who are now demanding the downfall of his political career.
During an interview with Fox News in 2021, Ohio Senator JD Vance criticized and complained that the Democrats were being led by “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too.” He added that “It’s just a basic fact – you look at Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigeg, AOC – the entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children.” Vance continued, “And how does it make sense that we’ve turned our country over to people who don’t really have a direct stake in it?”
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Another significant targeted criticism towards Kamala Harris about her parent hood was made by a female politician, Sarah Huckabee Sanders. During a town hall that she advised for Trump, taking place in Flint, Michigan, Arkansas Gov, Sanders mentioned the innocent criticism she received about her appearance from her daughter, concluding that “my kids keep me humble.” She continued, “Unfortunately, Kamala Harris doesn’t have anything to keep her humble.”
The target of this criticism, Kamala Harris, is a stepmother to two children, Cole Emhoff and Ella Emhoff. Her husband, Doug Emhoff, was previously married to Kerstin Emhoff for 16 years with whom he had his two children, Cole and Ella. Kamala Harris has developed a close relationship with her step children, starting from two months into a relationship with Doug Emhoff. Their close bond could be seen in her personal essay for ELLE in 2019 where she mentioned that her step children dearly refer to her as “Momala” and that she was “already hooked onto Doug, but I believe it was Cole and Elle who reeled me in.” Even Cole and Ella’s biological mother has talked significantly about how much respect she has for Harris as a mother figure to her biological children.
Kamala Harris quickly clapped back to this criticism looking down on not only her but also her family members. On October 6th of 2024, Harris appeared on the famous “Call Her Daddy” podcast, obtaining millions of viewers with a majority of Gen-Z and millennial women. Cooper, the host of the podcast, asked how the criticism made her feel and her opinions on Vance’s comment. She replied, “I don’t think she understands that there are a whole lot of women out here who, one, are not aspiring to be humble,” Harris said. “Two, a whole lot of women out here who have a lot of love in their life, family in their life and children in their life. And I think it’s really important for women to lift each other up. You know, I’ll tell you Alex, one of the things that I have really enjoyed about where the discussion has gone, one of the places it’s gone, we have our family by blood, and then we have our family by love. And I have both. And I consider it to be a real blessing. And I have two beautiful children, Cole and Ella, who call me Momala. We have a very modern family. My husband’s ex-wife is a friend of mine, you know?”
Taylor Swift’s Stand Against Sexism
This criticism not only offended Harris, but millions of “childless cat-ladies” all over the world, including the number one pop-star, Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift is a cultural powerhouse and one of the most influential artists of her generation. With countless Grammy Awards, including three for Album of the Year, she holds the record for the most wins in that category by a female artist. Swift is also known for her record-breaking streaming numbers, being the first female artist to have an album debut with over a million copies sold in its first week. Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour has boosted local economies through increased spending on hotels, dining, transportation, and merchandise. For example, in Singapore, hotel bookings increased by 462% and inbound flight bookings increased by 186%.
Beyond music, she is a strong advocate for artists’ rights, famously challenging streaming services on fair compensation and using her platforms like her instagram page with 284 million followers to promote and advocate for global issues from LGBTQ+ rights to education. Her ability to evolve her voice while maintaining a strong connection with her fans has compiled her legacy as a true icon.
As a strong feminist, Swift spoke up about the discriminating criticism towards her and her fellow “childless cat ladies” on her Instagram platform. The Instagram post included a photo of Swift holding one of her three cats. She continued her post with warnings of the dangers of AI she has learned as a victim of an AI mock video of her that was used for Donald Trump’s site. She concluded her post with a clear statement that her vote will go for Kamala Harris for the 2024 presidential election.
As one of the most influential and successful artists of her generation, Swift’s iconic Instagram post received 11.4 million likes. Her post not only endorsed Kamala Harris, but it empowered and lifted the voices of millions of women.
However, Taylor Swift’s post did not only gather positive attention and praise but also extreme hatred and discrimination. The most serious humiliation she received was a tweet made by Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Motors and an active republican.
In October 2022, Musk completed his acquisition of Twitter now renamed X, for approximately $44 billion. His purchase led to significant changes within the platform, including alterations to content moderation policies, a push for subscription-based models, and an overall shift in the platform’s direction. Musk’s leadership at Twitter has sparked both enthusiasm and controversy, reflecting his broader approach to business, which often prioritizes bold ideas and rapid change.
On September 11th of 2024, Elon Musk tweeted a highly controversial tweet as a response to Taylor Swift’s “childless cat lady” post endorsing Harris. He tweeted on his X platform with 201.5 million followers , “Fine Taylor…you win…I will give you a child and guard your cats with my life.” Taylor Swift’s brave public support for Kamala Harris being followed by sexual harassment by Elon Musk offering to impregnate her portrays and speaks loud about women’s societal role and position in society.
Reinforcing Stereotypes or Breaking Boundaries?
Centering womanhood and women’s value around motherhood has been one of the most toxic traits of sexism, ignoring and neglecting the complexity of women’s identities to a single role. This perspective not only reinforces traditional gender norms but also marginalizes women who choose not to become mothers or who cannot do so for countless reasons. By equating a woman’s worth with her ability to bear children, society limits opportunities for self-expression, career advancement, and personal fulfillment. This narrow definition often leads to pressure on women to conform, creating guilt or shame for those who prioritize other aspects of their lives, clearly seen in the immature and offensive comments made even by famous political figures.
Women are frequently underrepresented in political offices and decision-making roles, which affects policies and laws that directly impact their lives. Why should women in politics bear the responsibility and pressure of motherhood if men in politics were never called out for the absence of fatherhood in their lives?
George Washington’s absence of biological children is a notable aspect of the politics and controversy of American politics and his personal life, especially considering his prominent role in American history. Despite being a key figure in establishing the United States, Washington did not have any children of his own. He married Martha Custis, who had two children from her previous marriage, and they became his stepchildren.
Washington’s lack of biological heirs led him to adopt a somewhat paternalistic role towards his stepchildren and to invest significant time and resources in their upbringing and education. He often expressed concern about their futures and took a keen interest in their welfare.
Additionally, Washington’s will reflects his thoughts on legacy. He freed his enslaved people upon Martha’s death, a decision that highlighted his evolving views on slavery and human rights, further indicating his desire to leave a lasting moral legacy rather than just a familial one.
A Double Standard in Politics
Overall, the absence of biological children shaped Washington’s identity, his family dynamics, and his approach to legacy, emphasizing a commitment to the nation rather than traditional familial lines. Then why should women in politics and women in general have to obtain the experience of motherhood in order to prove themselves as “real women” and speak up for their people?
The expectation that women in politics must experience motherhood to prove themselves as “real women” reveals a deep-seated sexism that limits women’s identities and capabilities. This notion not only reinforces outdated stereotypes about femininity but also marginalizes those who do not conform to traditional roles, such as women who are childless by choice or circumstance. By tying a woman’s worth and ability to lead to her experience as a mother, society undermines the diverse contributions women can make based on their unique experiences and expertise. This perspective perpetuates the idea that only mothers can empathize with and advocate for the needs of their communities, thus sidelining capable women who lack children. Emphasizing parenthood as a prerequisite for legitimacy in politics stifles progress toward gender equality and disregards the value of women as individuals with varied life experiences and perspectives.
<Student Reporter Julie Kim>julierosekim0721@gmail.com
Julie Kim is a Sophomore Student in EF Academy Pasadena
