As promised.....

Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden said from the outset of his candidacy that he would select a woman as his running mate. As his campaign wore on, Biden strongly hinted that it would be a woman of color. 

On Tuesday it became official as Biden selected Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), who herself was a highly touted presidential candidate until her inept campaign crashed and burned. 

Let's be honest here. Biden is little more than a cadaver being propped up as a moderate so as to give way to his far left VP once the job gets to be too much (a majority of Americans surveyed believe he will not finish one term). The problem here is a close look at Harris's record and stances on issues leave no doubt that she is the most radically left candidate to ever appear on a presidential ticket. Would the country be ready for such an individual to occupy the Oval Office? Many Dems have their doubts, which is why they're already ginning up a strategy to insulate Harris from heavy scrutiny of her record. 

A group of powerful, Democratic women has penned an open letter warning media outlets to restrict their coverage of presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s running mate — expected to be a minority female (ed. - ultimately came to fruition) — so as to avoid any “racism” or “sexism” in their reporting.

The lawmakers, policy professionals, activists, and consultants labeled their effort “We Have Her Back” and directed their missive to “News Division Heads, Editors in Chiefs, Bureau Chiefs, Political Directors, Editors, Producers, Reporters, and Anchors.”

“Given how few women have reached this point, the sometimes disappointing coverage of the process to date and the double standards we’ve seen in the public and media expectations of women leaders over the years – and even more so for Black and Brown women leaders – we wanted to respectfully share some thoughts with you about the media’s role in the scrutiny and coverage of women and women of color candidates in general, and the vice-presidential candidate in particular,” the letter continues.

Specifically, the women warn journalists to avoid “sexism” and “racism” by avoiding commentary on Biden’s running mate’s “ambition,” her relationships with partners and staff, her likeability, her looks (including her weight, style of dress, attractiveness, and “tone of voice”), whether the candidate is “likable” or electable, and any reporting “on the heritage of Black women or women of color” that “perpetuates a misunderstanding about who is legitimately American.”

Typically interviews or lines of questioning with political candidates can become contentious due to the subject matter. That should be expected. However, it's often the case that when a female candidate is asked difficult questions in the same vain and tone as a male candidate, the interviewer (especially if it's a male) is dismissed as "man-splaining" or hit with the accusation that he'd never ask a man such questions about his record. Such obfuscation serves to overshadow a record that may not connect with mainstream America. 

While the selection of a presidential running mate typically isn't big news for more than, at most, a week, this one if different due to the undeniable historical context (first female minority on a presidential ticket) as well the more than remote possibility of this person becoming President of the United States in less than four years. So if the scrutiny on Harris's record seems more aggressive than for any Veep candidate in history, it has more to due with the rampant speculation that a President Joe Biden will flame out in the midst of his first term (thus elevating Harris to POTUS) than it does Harris's gender. 

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