Kamala Harris' high-wire act

America's sexist double standards mean she has to be tough — but not too tough

Kamala Harris.
(Image credit: Illustrated | Getty Images, iStock)

Ever since Democratic nominee Joe Biden selected Kamala Harris as his running mate, liberals have been itching to see the former prosecutor go head to head against Vice President Mike Pence. "Kamala Harris will shred Mike Pence in the vice presidential debate," The Nation wrote within 24 hours of Biden's VP announcement. "About half of Americans believe Kamala Harris is a better debater than Mike Pence," a YouGov poll found. And "Kamala Harris is as eager to destroy Mike Pence as you are to watch her do it," LGBTQ Nation reported in August.

Though giddy Democrats anticipate a bloodbath, Harris will face an uphill battle. It's not that she isn't a strong debater — her most memorable moment on the national stage to date is still likely the haymaker she threw at Biden during the Democratic primary — but the fact that, as a woman in politics, she faces double standards and stereotypes before she ever steps foot on the stage. Accounting for Americans' sexist perceptions of women politicians will be a tightrope act, and a frustrating and unfortunate secondary challenge for such an accomplished candidate.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.