*The rhetoric in the current political climate is palpable, and it’s becoming increasingly ugly. During Donald Trump‘s campaign event on Wednesday (08-14-24) in Asheville, North Carolina, an unsettling display of political vitriol against Vice President Kamala Harris was evident. Vendors were openly selling t-shirts emblazoned with the phrase “Say No to the Hoe.”
One particularly shocking aspect was a Black man (as you can see above), who was among the vendors, hawking the gear directly referring to the sitting Vice President and Democratic nominee for President, Kamala Harris. Priced between $20 and $30, these shirts sold out within a few hours, highlighting a disturbing trend in political merchandising.
This incident is not isolated. Just a few days prior, a family was seen in Spokane, Washington, wearing similarly offensive t-shirts at another Trump rally.
This growing trend signifies a stark escalation in the character attacks directed at Kamala Harris, moving beyond policy or experience and instead targeting her identity and character.
Central to this smear campaign is the perpetuation of misogynoir (a compounded form of sexism and racism directed toward Black women).
Criticisms that should ideally focus on Harris’s policies and professional competence are instead laced with deeply rooted misogynistic undertones, aiming to undermine her legitimacy through personal attacks.
A prominent example of this misogynoir came from ex-TV judge Joe Brown in a recent interview, where he labeled Kamala Harris an “old hoe” and took aim at her professional and personal credibility. Brown, who aggressively critiqued Harris’s tenure as a prosecutor, resorted to grossly inappropriate and unfounded personal attacks. He accused Harris of lacking professional competence, attributing her career advancements to flirtation rather than skill.
“She had a reputation among the trial lawyers of being lazy,” Brown commented. “She’d just hike her skirt up and try to flirt, and she wasn’t that good in the courtroom. She doesn’t make a bit of sense,” he added, making baseless claims about her mental state.
This pattern of attacks is emblematic of a broader Republican strategy aimed at discrediting Harris’s credentials and activating underlying racism and sexism among specific voter bases. Instead of engaging in substantive debate on policies and platforms, these attacks divert attention to inflammatory and personal disparagement.
Additionally, the utilization of such hate speech at politically charged events serves a dual purpose: galvanizing the base through shared biases and attempting to delegitimize the political opponent.
Despite the relentless tirade of insults, Kamala Harris continues to stand resilient, focusing on her campaign and the significant issues at hand. Yet, these attacks emphasize the pervasive challenges faced by women, particularly women of color, in high-stakes political arenas. They indicate that while the United States may have made strides toward equality, the journey is far from over, particularly when it comes to the intersection of race and gender in political discourse.
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