With VP Kamala Harris securing the Democratic presidential nomination, we are once again looking at the potential prospect of having the first female president in U.S. history.
Many women might feel like they now have something to vote for. It’s about time for a woman to be president! As of recent—perhaps with the advent of the Barbie movie—we have seen a surge of rhetoric around female empowerment. One need look no further than TikTok to find countless videos about being a “girl’s girl” and “for the girls”—cutesy Gen Z ways of saying that true women always support other women. In the eyes of many, a win for Harris is a win for women nationwide.
I do believe in this idea of being a “girl’s girl” to a certain extent. A woman of character will rise above conceit, look beyond herself, and genuinely care/advocate for the women around her. The problem occurs, however, when we support women based solely on that virtue alone.
With every election, we must be careful not to slip into the ever-present trap of identity politics. We have two candidates that look very different from each other. Our society is pushing us to make judgments and decisions based off these superficial characteristics, but there are consequences in doing so. Below are a few clips from our Contributors confronting the dangers of identity politics or “identitarianism”:
Along with the problems mentioned above, identitarianism is chronically inconsistent. Trump is slandered for being an old, straight, white man; less than a month ago, leftists ignored these characteristics in Biden. If men told other men to vote for Trump simply because he was a man, women would be outraged by the blatant sexism; when women tell other women to vote for Harris, they’re outraged when we tell them we’re not. This is what identity politics does to our minds—it clouds our ability to make consistent, objective, and rational judgements on reality. It’s all about what that person represents over the reality of who they really are, what their goals are, or what they are capable of.
Identity categories are dishonestly used to fit the power struggle advantages of the moment; this is untrue, dishonest, and cynical (the “nicest” way I can describe it).
A quick glance at our presidential candidates’ websites is telling. One candidate has a lengthy “about” page highlighting gender and ethnicity with no mention of future policies or policy reforms; the other has no personal biography but a comprehensive list of future political goals. I’ll leave you to decide who is who.
To be clear, I’m not advocating for a particular candidate here. The purpose of this is to remind us all that the deciding factor on the next president of the United States must go beyond emotional and superficial categories, no matter what political party you identify with.
As a woman speaking to all other women out there, I believe we are smarter than falling prey to identity politics. We are more rational than believing a woman will be a better leader or advocate simply because she is a woman. We are better than pressuring women to vote based on their sex or judging them when they will not. And we are not so small as to reduce either candidate to certain qualities, failing to question what they really bring to the table as the next leader of our country. The importance of the President of the United States as the leader of the Western, free world demands much more than that. The consequences of a bad decision here will be great.
One day—perhaps on January 20, 2025—a woman will become president and make history. Let’s make sure it’s for the right reasons.
