Biden and the Power of the One-Term Presidency
On to the Next with Kamala and Tim
Whiplash feels like the vibe of the summer: Whether it’s a disastrous debate, Hurricane Beryl, strong new energy for Kamala and Tim, or huge volatility and anxiety in the markets, it definitely feels like heightened awareness is the name of the game this season. Stay sharp and get your rest, folks!
Social Impact Insights: Falling In and Out of Love in Presidential Politics
I’ve always had a soft spot for Joe Biden, and been a fan of a lot of the things he’s done, with a few major and important disappointments along the way. In fact, I recall having a small crush on him back when he ran for President in 1987 (how sweet is that?). I vaguely remember finding him kind of dashing, whatever that meant to me at the time. Biden fell off my radar until 1991, when he led the Senate Judiciary hearing on Clarence Thomas’s nomination, and we know how badly that went. I still don’t think he’s ever made it up to Anita Hill, whom I’ve had the good fortune to meet a few times, as she selected me to be the first speaker of the Anita Hill Lecture Series on Gender Justice in 2013.
After that, Biden came back into my world when he pushed hard enough to get one of his key pieces of legislation, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), passed into law in 1994. VAWA’s been an important part of the work I’ve done for decades, and I always saw it as Biden’s way of making up a bit for how badly he handled the 1991 confirmation hearings. We did a lot of advocacy with Biden’s office over the years, and his was one of the more tuned-in offices to advocate with.
I was thrilled when he became Obama’s VP, as they seemed to balance each other out in important ways, and he did a great deal to make sure the Affordable Care Act became law. Now, at the end of his political career, I can only imagine the grief Biden is going through as he accepts that he had to step aside and will be a one-term President by choice. He’s likely still in a bit of a King Lear state, but history will largely treat him well. Biden leaves a legacy on progressive economics and building up desperately-needed infrastructure, healthcare, guiding our economy and national psyche through covid recovery, and of course, hopefully saving democracy by leaving ego behind and stepping aside due to his age.
Devastatingly, Gaza will be a black mark on Biden’s legacy. I have given him the benefit of the doubt, as we know he has to navigate harms against both Israelis and Palestinians, and I believe he did a lot more behind the scenes to try to limit the death and destruction of Palestinians. But the sending of more weapons in service of starvation and devastation will not hold up well as history moves forward.
The truth is, my favorite presidents have been one-term presidents, maybe because they signaled leaning into their bold ideas (including their mistakes), and being authentic enough to their own mission that they were willing to risk losing and putting their priorities on the line. Leaving it all on the floor, avoiding excessive caution, and not focusing on sticking around to the exclusion of everything else definitely speaks to me and it’s an ethos I bring to my own work. It also speaks to knowing when you have momentum and not backing down because you’re eager to hold onto your current position.
My favorite President has been Jimmy Carter, who always held his North Star out front, and developed his roadmap based on his priorities of peace and human rights. This picture below is me recently at The Carter Center, where I’ve had the pleasure to be brought in by my frequent collaborator Ejim Dike on a project. I did tell my clients that the work aside, my favorite part of working with them may have been getting to see this Andy Warhol triptych of President Carter in person! Look at me being as pleased as can be.
With Biden having stepped aside, it’s Kamala’s time. Most folks know I’m not really a fan, although I have of course fallen right into line and want to make sure she is elected President. Years of advocacy on the intersection of criminal justice and racial/gender equity issues has left me cold on her, as has her reputation for not running a good office, since I see that as a key leadership trait. I’ll admit to my own internalized sexism, where I tend to hold female politicians to a higher standard of authenticity and accomplishment, so I always consciously push through to counter for that.
And I don’t say this to yuck anyone’s yum: I’m thrilled with all the momentum that’s swung her way, and I’ve been impressed with the way the Biden/Harris campaign has pivoted into a Harris and now Harris/Walz operation. As the campaign’s leader, Kamala gets credit and my admiration for converting opportunity into a majorly revved-up engine. And the chemistry between Kamala and Tim Walz looks promising and energizing.
I say this because, since it’s been Kamala’s race, I’ve definitely been in conversations that border on toxic positivity, not acknowledging that while we now have a greater chance at the Presidency, we need to have a clear strategic focus on persuading undecideds as well as motivating our base to turn out and vote. This race will be so close, and the revved-up base is important, but it’s not enough to get us to a win. Thanks to the vagaries of the electoral college, we are fighting to convert a small group of undecideds in a few swing states and get them to the polls.
This is very much my concern because in the days following Biden’s stepping aside and Kamala consolidating her position, I engaged with three different young Black/Brown/Biracial men, none of whom was excited about Kamala and really don’t want to vote for her. While they were relieved Biden stepped aside, and they’re not voting for Trump, right now they’re leaning towards staying home. (And Kamala’s identity as a biracial Black/Indian American candidate is not enough for these potential voters.)
The good news is, Trump likely has hit his ceiling on whom he can pull in, while Kamala has lots of room to define herself to undecideds in swing states and to win them over. And this is all so new that I don’t read much into any of the current polling. Maybe Kamala doesn’t need to pull in young Black/Brown/Biracial/Asian men or other low-engagement voters, as long as she has a strong turnout of her key constituencies and rides the momentum of everyone who is donating money, writing postcards, and knocking on doors.
But I’d rather be strategic about persuading undecideds than see us roaring into an echo chamber. One of my reminders for undecideds is: I’ve learned that I don’t need to love or even like my electoral candidates. Paraphrasing the great AOC, we don’t have to see our electoral vote as the sole expression of our civic duty. In fact, voting for one of the available candidates should be the least we can do. And as my favorite political podcast, Somebody’s Gotta Win from Tara Palmeri, says in the name of her podcast, we have to pick from the available pool of candidates.
It doesn’t matter if you like or love a candidate, the question is: Do you want a President who will:
Build an economy that offers opportunity and stability for the vast majority of us not in the top 1%
Protect our ability to make our own decisions about our bodies
Work to get affordable health care for us all
Fight for freedom and democracy, and
Safeguard America’s good standing in the world?
If so, get out there and vote Kamala!
Surf Synthesis: Steady in the Water
I’m always assessing how I’d doing in the water, and checking out my metrics of success. I’ve had a few moments over the years when I thought I might have to try to rescue someone when I’ve paddled out. And of course, I’ve wondered whether I’d be up to it. Well, the moment finally came a few weeks ago, and I’m happy to say I kept my head about me and did pretty well.
Luckily, the situation wasn’t too dire, but it was alarming enough that I intervened. A group of young siblings were swimming and playing in the surfers area, with the oldest holding his younger sister as he swam them out. She was clearly terrified, freaking out, and gulping in ocean water as she cried out. They weren’t in any real danger yet, especially as the three boys all had strong swimming skills, but the young girl was panicking so much, and there were waves crashing hard around us, and her brothers kept ignoring her cries.
So I paddled up and to them and signaled that it was time to get back to shore because she was clearly freaking out. We even put her on my board for a minute or so to push her back to shore more quickly, but she was so wiggly we fell over, and I had her hold onto the edge of the board for some steadiness. They got safely back to shore, their mom thanked me, and then of course the oldest brother tried to convince me into loaning him my board for a bit! Hmmm, handing my board over to a slightly reckless 12 year-old? I don’t think so! I laughed and turned back to paddle out.
I need to work on my skills of having a second person on my board, but otherwise, I was pretty pleased with my performance, and hopefully that little girl isn’t too traumatized by bad memories of the ocean.
Tarot Inspiration: The Tower
The Tower is one of the cards that can cause the most anxiety when it shows up in a reading. One of the 22 cards representing a major moment in the life cycle, the Tower represents a huge disruption, a shattering, and a breaking down of order. While it typically induces fear, the good news is, the Tower arrives about 2/3 of the way into the cycle, leaving plenty of room for a new beginning. Because ultimately, where there is destruction, there is room for change, growth, and rebuilding.
Most of us had been feeling those Tower vibes since the first minute of Biden’s debate. It felt like a shattering of all that we hoped we knew to be true. It was devastating to see someone we were counting on falter and at the mercy of age. And yet, that devastation gave way to something new, an energetic rallying around a new-but-not-completely-new candidate team in Kamala/Tim.
Here’s to the rebuild and the change. Excited to see what we all build together in the coming months.
— Juhu Thukral | Founder + Principal,Apsara Projects
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Fantastic insights on Joe Biden and the election as it resets with Kamala Harris running for President. And wow, amazing recent surf adventure, Juhu — Definitely exciting times!