Debate Damage Control: CNN Says Kamala Was Victim of Racism, Sexism #Political
It’s worth noting that after the first Democratic debate last year, when Harris put now-Democratic nominee Joe Biden through the wringer over his position on busing and working with segregationists, CNN swooned for how Harris “commanded the stage” in her “masterful performance.”
In that debate, Harris was going toe-to-toe with multiple opponents at the same time, most of them white men. But suddenly, according to Tapper, she couldn’t hold her own against Vice President Mike Pence because he was a man:
Something also that I think we can't ignore is the concept of gender. And we're so used to seeing white men, but definitely men, on the stage when it comes to being on a ticket. Senator Harris is the third woman to be on a ticket. The first one was in 1984 with Geraldine Ferraro, and then we had to wait until – I’m sorry, she’s the fourth. And then 2008, Sarah Palin, 2016 Hillary Clinton.
And I wonder if a woman candidate feels like she can't push as much or steamroll as much as say Mike Pence can for fear of seeming and offending some segment of the electorate. I’m not saying it should be that way, but I’m wondering if it’s that way.
It was a suggestion that was held up by chief political analyst Bash, who went further and injected race into the mix. “I was texting with a friend who is an African-American man, saying, ‘do you think she's kind of letting some things go in a way that maybe she shouldn't?’ And the answer was, ‘Are you kidding me? You know that she's a black woman, she kind of has to pull her punches on that,’” she claimed.
Adding: “And I'm not sure if that's true. I mean, she was tough, and she certainly had her moments. But there were times when maybe there could have been more follow-up. And I don't know if that's something that was going through her head or not. I hope it wasn't.”
From there, political correspondent Phillip took the racism angle and ran with it. “You know, this is something that I’m sure you know for every woman in politics, and particularly black women, there is this line that you have to thread,” she declared. “But this is a line that only women really have to thread.”
Phillip also says she spoke with members of the Biden camp who were upset that “Pence was taking advantage of the rules, of the fact that he was able to just flout them.”
The truth of the matter was that both candidates interrupted each other and spoke past their time. But that didn’t stop Tapper from moaning about Pence anyway. “So, while they both dodged questions, I can't help but think, these ones that Pence dodged are somewhat more significant,” he whined.
“Kamala Harris was more respectful of the questions and tried to answer the questions,” Bash agreed before adding: “I'm not sure if that got her anywhere.”
Back in reality, the Vice President had the Senator back into a corner with her own record and the Biden agenda the liberal media had largely avoided talking about.
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The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN’s Post-Debate Analysis
October 7, 2020
10:33:36 p.m. EasternWOLF BLITZER: There you have it. Two candidates largely refraining from the fireworks, certainly a contrast to President Trump’s performance last week, in that first presidential debate. Tonight, it was much more civil. Both candidates clearly doing their best to dodge important, serious, tough questions from Susan Page. Questions that they didn't want to answer. She asked very good questions, Susan Page I must point out. And Mike Pence, in the process, also learned that it's nearly impossible to put a positive spin on the administration's record when it comes to coronavirus with more than 210,000 Americans dead.
(…)
JAKE TAPPER: I have to say, I think it was, first of all, a normal debate, a regular debate. Not an emotionally abusive session with somebody who’s a little unhinged. Both candidates got in some punches. I thought Senator Harris was effective when going after the administration's record when it came to COVID. Obviously, I thought Vice President Pence going after Biden's record, and attacking Harris on the fringes of her party, as we expected. I think there will be a lot that Republicans will be happy to talk about when it comes to his performance. It was more standard.
You know, I think there is a disparity in terms of some of the unanswered questions. Both of them did a lot of dodging. Harris wouldn't answer the question about the court-packing. And that’s significant, and Biden and Harris should answer it. But, on the other hand, Pence wouldn't answer the question about why the U.S. death rate from COVID is so much worse than any other wealthy country, and he wouldn't commit to a peaceful transfer of power.
So, while they both dodged questions, I can't help but think, these ones that Pence dodged are somewhat more significant.
DANA BASH: And I can add another one to that, that is very significant. He wouldn't answer how a second term of the Trump administration would preserve pre-existing condition promises that is under ObamaCare, which they're trying to do away with in the court.
I agree with you, our hearts are racing a little bit less right now than they were last week. This was much more civilized. But it was really stunning to see the way Mike Pence pivoted, almost at every question. Not answering the question. And not going back to actually follow-up on the question. Kamala Harris was more respectful of the questions and tried to answer the questions. I'm not sure if that got her anywhere.
I do think at the end of the day, Mike Pence did what he needed to do, maybe, and then some. The same with Senator Harris.
ABBY PHILLIP: Yeah, I mean, I think if we -- as we all have covered Mike Pence, we know this is his superpower as an interviewee, he often just completely disregards the question, and answers the way he thinks is best. But in the context of the debate, it really did create this imbalance between the two of them.
And I do think that Harris missed some opportunities here to push back, at opportunities when Pence took them, even when it wasn't his turn. And he was given time to go over by 30 seconds here, 45 seconds there. I mean, these are technicalities, but in the moment, what it means is that you felt like you got more talking time from Pence.
BASH: And as interviewers, all three of us, it was definitely frustrating to hear the question and then not hear a follow-up, when both of them, but much more Mike Pence, didn't answer the question at all. Went in a completely different question.
TAPPER: Something also that I think we can't ignore is the concept of gender. And we're so used to seeing white men, but definitely men, on the stage when it comes to being on a ticket. Senator Harris is the third woman to be on a ticket. The first one was in 1984 with Geraldine Ferraro, and then we had to wait until – I’m sorry, she’s the fourth. And then 2008, Sarah Palin, 2016 Hillary Clinton.
And I wonder if a woman candidate feels like she can't push as much or steamroll as much as say Mike Pence can for fear of seeming and offending some segment of the electorate. I’m not saying it should be that way, but I’m wondering if it’s that way.
BASH: Well, I’ll tell you this, and Abby I want to get your thoughts on this. I was texting with a friend who is an African-American man, saying, “do you think she's kind of letting some things go in a way that maybe she shouldn't?” And the answer was, “are you kidding me? You know that she's a black woman, she kind of has to pull her punches on that.”
And I'm not sure if that's true. I mean, she was tough, and she certainly had her moments. But there were times when maybe there could have been more follow-up. And I don't know if that's something that was going through her head or not. I hope it wasn't.
PHILLIP: You know, this is something that I’m sure you know for every woman in politics, and particularly black women, there is this line that you have to thread. You know, I was texting with people close to her who looked at this and kind of felt like Pence was taking advantage of the rules, of the fact that he was able to just flout them. And perhaps she should have pushed back in certain ways. I think that that’s were debate prep comes in. There are ways to do it in ways that don't sort of present in a certain way. But this is a line that only women really have to thread.
(…)
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