Commentary
After devoting my April 21, 2024 blog to six women in the news, I find that women again dominate the political news.
Vice President Harris
I’m sure the vice president’s handlers snapped up the opportunity for her to appear on the Drew Barrymore Show last week. There would be no tough questioning there, recalling cute little Gertie from the movie E.T.
On the subject of her laugh (or chackle) Harris said “people love to talk about the way I laugh.” To which, Barrymore interrupted with, “Oh, yes, I love your laugh.”
Explaining that it was like her mother’s laugh, Harris noted that she would never be the person to tone it down, stifling a laugh with a giggle.
But it was Harris’ comment that her stepchildren referred to her as “Momala, that caused Barrymore to get excited. “We need you to be Momala to the country,” she said, with a cheering response from the audience.
Oops … that didn’t go over well with New York Times black columnist, Charles M. Blow, who wrote, “Kamala Harris Isn’t Americans’ Momala. She’s our Vice President,” accusing Barrymore of black stereotyping, “even though gentle.”
“That she would be called upon to comfort and nurture the country, rather than dutifully represent it, is demeaning and holds Black women captive to historical mythologies,” wrote Blow.
You will recall that Howard Stern referred to President Biden as the “father of our country” in a recent “softball” interview.
Jen Psaki
Following a campus update in GW today, the newsletter of George Washington University, stating that “GW is open and operating with enhanced safety measures while in GWorld Safety Mode, with buildings locked an access available only to cardholders, the newsletter excitedly announced its commencement speaker.
Jen Psaki, host of MSNBC’s “Inside with Jen Psaki,” who served as the nation’s 34th press secretary, will be the 2024 commencement speaker and will receive an honorary degree of Doctor of Public Service in a National Mall ceremony on May 1, 2024.
Allow me to clarify. She may have been the 34th presidential press secretary, but was not the nation’s 34th press secretary.
The newsletter went on to say, “In that job, she earned praise from the Associated Press as a communicator who “dug deep into policy, seeking an understanding that goes far beyond talking points,” and Vogue magazine celebrated her for bringing “a mixture of warmth, humor, intelligence and edge” to the role of press secretary.
“As a respected political commentator, former White House Press Secretary, and champion of truth and ethical public service, Jen Psaki will no doubt be an inspiration to our students,” said GW President Ellen M. Granberg.
Meanwhile, there should be no doubt that GW is left leaning.
Tulsi Gabbard
Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democrat, who can be identified as a centrist and moderate, has emerged as former President Trump’s most compelling and logical selection to be his running mate, according to Richard Truesdell at American Greatness.
Truesdell lists six factors in his analysis, in which he provides information requiring more space than I can devote. His first factor is that she’s a woman. That could help Trump with suburban female voters, and college-educated women.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, and New York Rep. Elise Stefanik are believed to be the only other women under consideration. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem was considered to be high on the list until the story of her killing one of her dogs was revealed.
Because she currently holds no elective office, Truesdell believes that is a plus when compared to eight others on what he thinks is Trump’s short list.
She’s an ex-Democrat who left the party when it made the ideological move to the far-left progressive movement. Before she left the Democrat Party in 2022, she served as vice chair of the DNC, giving her intimate knowledge of the kind of dirty tricks they might deploy in 2024.
Gabbard is also an active military reserve officer with a military background not found in other possible candidates.
The fifth factor Truesdell mentions is that she would not be a threat to upstage Trump if that were ever a possibility.
Lastly, Truesdell asks, “Can you imagine Gabbard again on a debate stage with Harris after the way she almost single-handedly ended Harris’ 2020 presidential bid?”
Overall, looking back over Trump’s selection of Mike Pence in 2016, Truesdell believes Gabbard brings the balance that makes her unequivocally the best choice.
Trump has said that his selection would be someone he believes could one day be president and that he will make his choice before the Republican National Convention in mid-July.
May God continue to bless the United States of America.
