Anne Whiteside

Because we need a leader who prioritizes the basic needs of housing, health care, elder care, and children

Because we need a leader undaunted by the mess we’re in, someone who’s worked at every level of government, who’s spent time with international leaders, who’s willing to sit with complexity. Who knows that compromise is how you get things done. Because democracy requires compromise. Because we’re a diverse people and we need leaders who embrace the genius of our multiplicity.

Because Kamala Harris clearly loves the law, believes that laws are how we protect ourselves from one another. Because she sees unfulfilled promises in the Constitution, she asks questions like “Do you know of any laws that determine what men do with their bodies?” which are never asked in the halls of power. Whose intelligent face lights up when she sees through baloney.

Because make no mistake: We’re in serious trouble. What we do about climate for the next four years will impact generations. A dark noxious cloud hangs over our future, a strange being who spews lies and hate, causes terrible harm, trashes the rules, and ignores signals the earth is sending us. The economic interests powering his campaign are the companies who got us into this mess. They appeal to the worst in us: greed, xenophobia, racism, misogyny.

In it for quick gain, they’re selling cheap fixes: a wall, a big lie, a simple enemy, a strongman who can fix everything.

In a complex, interconnected world, nothing could be farther from the truth. We need a measured, thoughtful leader, someone whose optimism outweighs her despair. And dare I say it, a woman, who’s had to make hard, pragmatic choices, who understands that small gains can lead to bigger ones, that families come in all shapes. That we need to invest in the common good, in communities, schools, and infrastructure. Whose priorities are meeting basic needs: housing, health care, elder care, children.

These are my reasons for feeling excited about a Kamala Harris presidency. And so terribly scared.

 Anne Whiteside is a National Writing Project fellow and Fulbright scholar.