Jody Avirgan

Because Harris comports herself with decency

Over the last few years, I’ve become fully “decency-pilled.” Like many of us who pay attention to the news closely, or even professionally, I’ve felt battered and frayed by the ceaseless coarsening of our politics. And I’ve found myself thinking about the presidency way too much.

To manage, I’ve done a healthy amount of unplugging—highly recommended! I’ve also tried to remind myself of the basic values that I look for in a leader. Decency. Flexible thinking. Calm under pressure. Willingness to admit mistakes.

This is what I look for in a boss, a coworker, a coach—it certainly feels like the bare minimum to look for in a president.

I don’t need to grab a beer with Kamala Harris. I don’t really care that she has (admittedly pretty good) taste in music. Lord knows that no candidate is going to check every policy box for every voter.

Instead, the questions to ask when selecting a leader are: What are they like in a meeting? Who do they surround themselves with? Will they confront a problem head-on or whine as they throw every nearby body under the bus?

The answers to these questions paint a picture of leadership, and in particular the kind of leadership that can handle the unforeseen crisis. More than anything, I believe that is what we are selecting when we vote for president. Presidencies are defined by the choppy waters, and a president must be someone who has the resilience to navigate setbacks without losing sight of their mission. Kamala Harris has these core strengths.

In turn, former President Trump hasn’t met a crisis or setback that hasn’t completely flummoxed him. It’s weakness personified.

Harris comports herself with decency. She’s steady. And, God willing, she’ll be the kind of president you can forget about from time to time. I’m holding out two pills. Decency and chaos. I think it’s time to try the blue one, no?

Jody Avirgan is a podcast host and producer.