The giants returned and the groundhog flinched. Two adult deer and three spotted fawns came up into the back yard eating grass, foraging below where I’d tossed a half gallon jug of sunflower seeds. The birds gave way. So did the squirrels. The indomitable groundhog however kept on eating. One of the fawns took an interest in the portly rodent. He came up with his knobby knees and tried to sniff him. The groundhog looked up to say “kid, whataya want?” The fawn leaped back surprised to be confronted and then awkwardly returned for another sniff. The ground hog stopped masticating and looked up a second time, more determinedly. The fawn decided to scamper over and explore the lawn closer to the deck.
Most of our country has been foraging for some whiff of leadership this past three and half years. Yesterday we were introduced to Biden’s Vice-Presidential candidate, whom we were already familiar with, Ms. Kamala Harris. I had mixed feelings when I considered her during the debates, last year. I’d felt like her thrust at Bidden on bussing was staged and opportunistic. It was also unsuccessful at knocking Joe out or her in. She seemed accomplished and articulate but enigmatic and not immediately inspiring. And to be fair, neither was Pete, nor Amy, nor Joe, nor Michael. Liz intrigued me. I liked her iron and my appreciation for Andrew waxed with time. Bernard was inspiring, if stentorian but I wasn’t convinced by the little I heard him or the other two say about foreign policy, where my mind is always focused.
And at some point, it simply doesn’t matter. Any of them would be a joyous upgrade over the charlatan sitting there now. I fervently hope the majority of sentient Americans left of the Tea Party would agree. If Joe’s the standard bearer and Kamala’s his Veep, then I’m in. There will be plenty of time for tuning and kvetching after November. I watched them yesterday, at their press conference with no one in physical attendance. Emphatic lines, with no applause. It was good. I hope to God, they are good-enough. It was cathartic to hear them lay the blame for so much mismanagement, precisely where it belonged, in one-term-Don and the Republican party’s lap. As I watched Ms. Harris for the first time seriously, I was intrigued by her remarkable ability to toggle between commanding and cutting, to cute and smiley. She does both well. But they are very different, and I found myself searching for the approachable union of the two, the real her. One suspects I’ll now have plenty of time to consider this.
One hundred times harder for a woman and yet again a woman of color, still further one, who is also Asian American one can’t but appreciate the majesty of her accomplishment. And as she spoke, I was nodding along with her assertive, credible prosecution of the shambolic Trump wreckage and thinking, she’ll be tough on Pence, she’ll be relentless on Don. His “nasty” assignation he tweeted right after the speech didn’t stick, as we also remembered an approachable mom, with big eyes and long wavy hair, which is to say that it won’t be easy for one-term-Don to denigrate her, as she isn’t two dimensional. She’s neither a Barbie nor a harpy and yet seems both sweet and martial. He’ll try and try again, but is it just me or has the shock value of his callous rudeness lost whatever boorish potency it might have once had? He’s flailing. He’s spiraling downwards now.
So, I’m with Joe and I’m with Kamala. In a hat tipped towards South Asian diction, and the remarkable acknowledgement that we may, before long, have a President of Asian descent, let’s go ‘do the needful.’ Let’s go foment a landslide that takes back the Senate. And many blessings to Ms. Harris that she may shoulder this tremendous burden gracefully and mature in the role, comfortable as herself, waxing into a transformative leader who can inspire and effect greatness. Our system is an imperfect crucible. May her alloy be worthy of our hopes.
Thursday, 08/13/20
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