Alice Elliott Dark

Because she understands how to make choices in a timely manner, and how to get along with others

Kamala characterized herself well when she recently said she has always been underestimated. Many women can relate to this; it’s the trope of saying an idea at a meeting to a dead air response, only to have a man say the exact same words ten minutes later to great applause. It’s good to see her front and center, in all her intelligence and high spirits, but I believe we will see her full potential once she is in office. She is walking a fine line between breaking out as her own person and still being loyal to Joe Biden. That’s as it should be, but the constraints of that balancing act have ended up in criticism of her not being explicit enough about her policies. I am not bothered by that, because she is a sane, rational person. That sounds like it should be a bottom-line prerequisite for the presidency, or the leadership of any country, but we can observe both here and abroad that it is not. But I want a sane president and a sane vice president, and her ticket offers us both.

A president is faced with many difficult decisions, including having to make tactical decisions that may result in the deaths of the innocent. Such decisions in the hands of the sane are based not only on facts and information and good advice, but also on conscience, comparison, and concern. A sane person doesn’t think she knows best. A sane person knows how to ask the right questions. She understands how to make choices in a timely manner, and how to get along with others. She is grounded and knows who she can trust. Kamala has surrounded herself with a trustworthy team for aid and support. Her sanity and groundedness mean more to me than anything. I’m sure I won’t agree with everything she does, but I believe that she will always have my respect. We need a sane mind running the country “in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, and insure domestic tranquility.” Kamala is the candidate who understands the ongoing work of forming a more perfect union. I want her to have the chance to show us what she can do.

Alice Elliott Dark is the author of Fellowship Point and other books.