Symbolism

Ok, it’s confession time: I’ve become obsessed with American politics. Ever since Joe Biden stepped aside, I can’t stop reading the news. No matter what anyone says, there’s something thrilling about a black woman entering the race.

I can’t wait to see the size of the crowd if she wins.

I’ve been reading, watching and listening to everything I can get my hands on – from both sides of American politics – and I’m finding it fascinating that barely anyone is mentioning gender in this race. Melissa Blair, in an article in Time Magazine, explains Harris’ strategy:

Harris’ emphasis on her qualifications for the presidency, and her frequent assertion that she will be President of all Americans, not just women or people of colour, falls squarely in line with the equality feminist tradition in American politics. By avoiding the fact that she’d be the first woman in the Oval Office, she’s emphasizing that she has every right to run for President because she is a citizen – just  like any other American. She’s not asking voters to think of her identity as the first female President as something ‘special’ or an extra reason why she should get the job.

This strategy is a brilliant move by the vice president's campaign. Not all women agree politically. Emphasizing any female candidate’s status as a woman therefore risks angering those women who hold different political views and who may feel like they are being told they ‘must’ support female candidates simply because of their shared biological traits. 

This is in direct contrast to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign, in which she played the gender card.

If Kamala Harris wins, we’ll live in a different world. We cannot underestimate the symbolic power of a woman of colour stepping into the Oval Office. Of course, the world has known the leadership of the likes of Julia Gillard, Mary Robinson, Angela Merkel, Jacinta Ardern and, of course, Margaret Thatcher. But this is America, the self-appointed world super-power, and the creator of the cultural soup that we all greedily sup on. Netflix, anyone?

If Harris wins, it’ll be true that girls can do anything

As president, Donald Trump eroded women’s rights, particularly in relation to bodily autonomy. In 2017, 5 million women around the world marched in response to his presidency. In contrast, Harris is boldly and proudly asserting her pro-choice agenda, and on 2 November,  three days before the election, women around America will march with the slogan ‘Our bodies. Our future.’ It is my most fervent hope that, as well as maintaining momentum for change, the march lifts Harris at the ballot box. It’s too late to protest after Trump has won.

If Trump loses, violence and misogyny loom

According to The Hill, a poll from Quinnipiac University found that 73% of likely voters are concerned about the potential for ‘politically motivated violence following the outcome of the 2024 presidential election.’ This is a terrifying situation, especially in a country that continues to protect its citizens’ right to carry firearms. How can we forget January 6, or America’s history of assassination attempts on political leaders?

If she wins, Harris won’t be safe. My Australian readers will remember what happened to Julia Gillard once she took office. Writing during Gillard’s prime ministership, Australian feminist Dr Anne Summers wrote about the misogyny Gillard seemed to unleash:

A few weeks ago in Darwin my friend was picked up from her hotel by a cab. The taxi driver said to her, totally out of the blue: ‘How could you be staying at the same hotel as the lying c*#&.’ Apparently, Julia Gillard had stayed at the same hotel the week before when she was in Darwin to welcome the Indonesian president. The taxi driver continued: ‘Someone should have shot her while she was here. Everyone wants to do it.’

Will some Americans hate Harris as much as some Australians hated Gillard? Absolutely. A segment of society won’t celebrate her ascension purely because she’s a woman; she’ll need to borrow some of Gillard’s incredible personal strength from the get-go.

There’ll be tears, no matter what happens

I’m gonna cry if Harris wins, and I’m gonna cry if she loses.

I’m gonna cry if America descends into violence.

And I’m gonna cry if America embraces joy.

Last year, Australia voted no to a Voice to Parliament. The level of racism in our country is shameful and that result had me in tears. The hatred in our community reminds me that it’s very possible Trump will win in November. We must remember Brexit. And we must remember 2016. I have no power in this. But I have a belief in the importance of symbolism. If Harris wins, we can finally say that girls can do anything.