Is Misogynoir The Reason Vice President Kamala Harris Has Received The Lowest Net Negative Rating In History?
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According to a new NBC News survey, Vice President Kamala Harris has received a net negative rating of -17, which happens to be the lowest for a vice president since the poll was first established. Almost half of the people surveyed have an unfavorable view of Harris.
The poll was published on Monday and revealed that 49% of those who participated have a disapproving view of Harris and 32% have more favorable feelings toward the vice president. In 2020, she became the first woman and first woman of color to become vice president in U.S. history. Is misogynoir to blame for the criticism Harris is experiencing?
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Axios, which reported on the poll, asked Democratic strategist Cornell Belcher what can be inferred from the results. “[It] shouldn’t surprise anyone that there is going to be a different filter and a different focus put on the first woman to ever be Vice President of the United States, particularly a woman of color,” Belcher stated.
Amanda Hunter, executive director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation which focuses on women in politics, also expressed a similar sentiment. “We talk often at the foundation about something called the imagination barrier. Sometimes, it can be hard for voters to picture someone who looks, sounds and acts differently from their predecessors in a position of leadership.”
Hunter continued. “In our almost 25 years of research, voters don’t give women permission to find their niche in executive office; they are really expected to hit the ground running,” she explained. Despite the racism and sexism Harris has been subjected to since the start of her term as VP, her team is currently working diligently to rehabilitate her image.
White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients shared that he meets with Harris every week to discuss not just policy but her image as well. “If you think about what matters to the American people, it’s what the Vice President is actually doing and when the American people see her in action every day … I think the enthusiasm and energy is palpable,” Zients stated.
“We just need to make sure that we do a good job of exposing” her to the American public, he remarked.
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