It didn’t take long after Kamala Harris’s debate with the fly Pence for Trump to call her unspeakable names. Of course he did. Trump hates strong women.
And although Trump’s hatred of strong women goes well beyond the norm; disdain for strong women isn’t unusual. Americans have long had a complicated relationship with women who stand their ground and say what the think. And by complicated, I mean awful. Strong women are seen as unlikable, unelectable, and not feminine.
But Joe Biden has always loved strong women. He has a wonderful friendship with Hillary Clinton. His wife Jill was the first second lady to keep working while her husband was in office. His sister has run most of his campaigns.
His wife and sister are even so kickass strong that they jumped in front of the protestors who charged Joe back in March.
He is secure enough in who he is that he doesn’t need women to pretend to be anything other than who they are. He values them for their strengths.
We saw it when he picked Kamala as his running mate. From the LA Times → Kamala Harris VP pick shows Biden isn’t afraid to have a strong woman at his side
In picking California Sen. Kamala Harris to join the Democrats’ 2020 presidential ticket, Joe Biden has shown that, unlike the man currently holding the job he seeks, he’s not afraid of strong women.
Biden aides reportedly tried to block her selection as vice president, suggesting she lacked sufficient loyalty and deference and had too much ambition to make a good sidekick.
Now, she’s the first woman of color to join the Democratic presidential ticket.
We also saw it a few days ago, in a WaPo article called Joe Biden’s campaign, summed up in one simple gesture.
Former vice president Joe Biden was standing on the tarmac Monday chatting with reporters at New Castle County Airport before boarding his campaign plane for Miami. Biden was wearing a mask and so were the journalists, but the plane’s engine was whirring and as he was answering questions about whether he would participate in the upcoming scheduled debate, he began to drift from socially distanced range into normal speaking range. And so, with no fanfare but unmistakable firmness, Jill Biden approached her husband from behind, reminded him of proper spacing and physically moved him several paces back.
Biden apologized for his spatial indiscretion and then carried on with his thoughts about the importance of following the science in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
An entire campaign was summed up in that simple gesture — and by Biden’s response to it.
The article was about what this said about Joe’s leadership and how he wants to set a good example and keep people safe. I agree with all that.
But, to me, what was striking was how he responded to being physically pulled back and corrected by his wife in public.
After his wife stepped in to pull him back into safer territory, Biden said, “I’m sorry.” His words could be read as a statement of regret to the assembled reporters for violating the new rules of social engagement, for perhaps, putting them at risk. But even more, his apology recognized the concerns of his wife. It acknowledged that a small act can have enormous consequences — not just for him but for others as well.
There are plenty of men — even good and decent men— who would react poorly to being corrected like that by their wives in such a public situation. But not Biden. Biden isn’t scared of strong women because he knows who he is and he is confident in who he is. Biden isn’t scared of strong women because he values their strength and what it can bring to the table.
We also saw Biden’s love of strong women in how he reacted to the awful things Trump said about Senator Harris the morning after her debate. Biden said “It's despicable. It's despicable. It’s so beneath the office of the presidency, and the American people are sick and tired of it. They know who this man is. It has to stop.” He turned and pointed to Senator Harris “This is one of the finest persons I have ever dealt with. This is a person who is ready, on day one, to be president of the united states of America. This is a person who has more integrity in her little finger than most people have in their whole body.” Referring to Trump he said “It's obvious he has great difficulty dealing with strong women. Great difficulty." Finally, Biden turned to Harris and added, "You did a great job." (She did)
Here is the video:
Time and time again we see that Joe Biden values and appreciates strong women.
Joe Biden will be a great president.
This is Day 83 in my series 100 Days of Loving Joe Biden
Did you miss any of the 100 days? Here are links for all of them:
- Day 63: Biden ran his very first campaign in 1972 on the issues that are still central to us today -- voting rights, civil rights, crime, clean water and air, pension protection, and health care.
- Day 64: Biden has worked for campaign finance reform for his whole career. He can bring real change as president.
- Day 65: Biden surrounds himself with a diverse group of advisors and plans to do so in the White House as well. Representation matters.
- Day 66: Biden has a great plan for dealing with Iran
- Day 67: Biden has an aggressive plan to fight climate change
- Day 68: Even when you disagree with Biden, you will know that his heart is in the right place.
- Day 69: Biden loved the Biden/Obama memes which shows us more evidence of the person Joe is — someone fun, who can laugh at himself, and who values his friendship with another man enough to want to enjoy reminders of that bond.
- Day 70: Biden is running for president for the right reasons. Trump’s “very fine people on both sides” response to Charlottesville, motivated him to run. Biden is running for president because he loves our country too much to stand on the sidelines and not do all he can to save it
- Day 71: Joe Biden doesn't hold personal grudges. He has the maturity to see that every slight or misstep is not about him and that gives him the ability to focus on what really needs to be done for the good of the country.
- Day 72: Biden believes in democracy. Throughout his 40 years of public service, he has repeatedly shown that he sees elected office as a sacred trust where you work to make people’s lives better. He will fight like hell for that now, after November 3rd, and after his inauguration as our 46th president.
- Day 73: Joe has championed funding and application of basic and applied science for his entire career.
- Day 74: Biden has a great plan for Puerto Rico
- Day 75: Biden is not an elitist
- Day 76: Biden will nominate great justices
- Day 77: Biden is just the right mix of pragmatic and idealistic
- Day 78: Biden supports the rights of transgender people
- Day 79: Biden won’t have anyone from the fossil fuel industry (or any lobbyists) on his transition team
- Day 80: Biden is responsible for funding to provide the MRAP vehicles that saved many lives.
- Day 81: Biden is a progressive in the true sense of the word. Being a progressive means not just wanting our society to progress to a better place (which he does), but being listen to other people, learn, and change.
- Day 82: Biden will unite us. In the political speech of his life in Gettysburg, he acknowledged awful injustice and inequality; spoke of a country torn apart; and promised leadership that listens, and cares, and works to bring us together