At the Democratic National Convention in August, Hillary Clinton alluded once again to that famed glass ceiling. You know, the one she hoped to triumphantly shatter through — pantsuit and all — during her unsuccessful bids for president in 2008 and 2016. Clinton recycled much of her old feminist rhetoric for her speech at the DNC nominating Harris, suggesting that Harris — like herself — was in a long line of successful women in politics and that the day to break the ceiling was finally here.
It’s no secret Clinton would have loved to be the one to become the first female president of the United States. Eight years ago, she nearly accomplished her long-standing dream, winning the popular vote but narrowly losing due to losses in key swing states. Yet, some voters and political commentators were quick to point out that, despite her wide utilization of feminism for campaign support, a woman who sticks by her husband when he has a huge public sex scandal with an intern, is a selective feminist. The details about and gossip that followed the case only made her lack of dignity more apparent. If a woman has to swallow her most basic pride in front of an entire nation, perhaps she isn’t the best representation of a strong, powerful woman. And though Clinton became the first woman to be nominated for president from a major party, she didn’t win. Hence, no glass was shattered.
Certainly, Harris is different. She has a publicly supportive, faithful partner offering positive media. She has experience as the sitting vice president. She is younger. If she wins this November’s election, she will simultaneously be the first woman, Black woman and Indian to be president of the United States. Yet, if she wins, she won’t be shattering the glass ceiling, just breaking it.
Harris was nominated through an unprecedented last-minute effort following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from his campaign. Additionally, for many, a vote for Harris, like those for Clinton, will be a vote against former President Donald Trump; even top Republican officials, such as former Vice President Dick Cheney and former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, are turning against their own party after lifetime alliances. This is accomplished less by Harris’ campaign and more by Trump’s dangerous politics.
Certain voters and commentators still question her strength and fortitude — especially in the way of foreign defense policy. Trump talks about her appearance, boiling her down into little more than a shallow woman. Republican officials, including Ben Proto, Connecticut’s Republican Party chairman, claim Harris is not qualified, though she has years of experience as the district attorney of San Francisco, attorney general of California, a U.S. senator and the vice president. Additionally, the memes and public support surrounding Harris being “brat” and talking about coconuts are positive if one believes, as Bloomberg Opinion Columnist Nia-Malika Henderson does, that she can win on “vibes.” Yet, this idea implies that Harris should rely on surface-level internet support and not her deep knowledge of politics and debate to win.
The glass ceiling will be shattered in the future. But to me, that implies a day when the top leading women officials don’t have to all have the same bob hairstyle and a pantsuit, when a woman can only seek success if she is running against an impulsive authoritarian.
Harris’ campaign is still a big deal; we are making progress. Harris does not need to address the fact that she is a woman as much as Clinton did; she can instead focus more on her strong prosecutorial background. With Harris, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Nikki Haley and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, we seem to be nearing a day where the archetype for women in politics is, at least slightly, more flexible. Harris inspires the younger generation — we all saw the image of her great-niece looking brightly at Harris speaking on stage at the DNC. Maybe someday she will run for president with her pigtails and joy in her eyes.
