CNN senior political analyst Nia-Malika Henderson on Monday said Vice President Kamala Harris’ race and gender automatically make her an “underdog,” no matter how well she is polling in the presidential election.
Republican strategist Shermichael Singleton on Monday suggested Harris’ race and gender could be advantageous for her campaign because Americans will feel like they are making history when voting for her. However, Henderson on “Inside Politics With Dana Bash,” said the vice president “is running against hundreds of years of history,” guaranteeing her the status of “underdog” even if she surges by 4% in “every swing-state.” (RELATED: ‘Is That A Trick Question?’: Kamala Harris Rally-Goers Struggle To Explain Her Policies)
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CNN Analyst Says Harris Would Be ‘Underdog’ Even If She Surged In ‘Every Swing-State’ Because She’s ‘Black Woman’ pic.twitter.com/yReGjW80lP
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) August 19, 2024
“Listen, it’s also that she is a black woman who is seeking the highest office in the land. America has never elected a black woman governor. Many of us have never had black women bosses, right?” Henderson said. “So she is running against hundreds of years of history, hundreds of years of culture, hundreds of years of stereotypes about what a president of America looks like.”
“So she is certainly the underdog… even if she goes up four points in every swing-state, I would say she’s still the underdog, given the history of this country,” she added.
Host Dana Bash responded by saying Henderson made “such an important point.”
One Chicago male voter told “Fox and Friends” co-host Lawrence Jones Monday that he will cast his ballot for Harris because her election would be “historical,” while a female voter informed Jones there is “definitely a lot more pressure” to vote for Harris due to her race and gender.
Former President Barack Obama’s chief campaign strategist David Axelrod said in July that Harris is “smart not to” run her campaign based on the historical significance of her potential election.
“She’s not running to be the first black woman president. She’s running to be president of the United States, and she thinks she’s the best qualified and the most representative of this country as a whole, and that’s how she should run,” Axelrod said.
“And that’s how people should talk about her. You know, the fact is her supporters should talk about why she’s the strongest candidate, not that she’s a historic candidate,” he added. “Everybody can see that, but that’s not enough to bring the voters who they need to come along.”
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