Leah Daughtrey: "I don't have the strength to carry two White people across the finish line

[StarfishSaver]

Leah Daughtry, chief executive officer of the Democratic National Convention in 2008 and 2016, took to Facebook Live about a week ago, frustrated by the criticism of Black women candidates in a way White women in the conversation are not being discussed. Looking into the screen with exasperation, she lamented: “I don’t have the strength to carry two White people across the finish line in November.”

“For me, it raised again the spectre that we live every day as Black women, of being judged by and held to a different standard, despite the fact that we are qualified and that we are the highest propensity voters in the nation,” Daughtry said, calling the current tone “maddening.”

“I need to have someone who has my experience because of their sex and the color of their skin, so I know my issues and my concerns are going to be daily at the table when policy is going to be discussed,” she said. “I can’t make that assumption, and I’m not going to advocate for that assumption to the people I’m asking to vote.”
https://19thnews.org/2020/08/black-women-insist-that-biden-write-us-into-history/?amp&__twitter_impression=true

[hlthe2b]

1. Honestly. I want a female POC too, but really? I would absolutely walk across burning embers

to get Biden and whomever he chooses across the finish line. Am I unique in realizing this is IT? We either prevail or our country is lost for ALL OF US?

I understand the emotions behind this, but really?

[StarfishSaver]

4. She's not saying she won't work her ass off

She's saying it would be much, much harder and she doesn't know if she has the strength to put it off.

[brush]

10. And why can't that be done with one of the five qualified black women...

out of the list of eight having been vetted? Is anyone seriously thinking that passing over the majority on the list, a majority that represents the most loyal and dependable voting base of the Democratic Party, who come through every time and who came through this time and delivered the nomination to Biden...are we seriously thinking in this time of finally confronting racial inequality we are going to demonstrate racial inequality ourselves by passing over most of the women on the list and have an all-white ticket for the party, allegedly, of diversity.

Come on, folks, it's time to put our money where our mouth is and dance with the one who brung ya.

[hlthe2b]

11. I see your insult and counter: I never said they should not. Your are deriding the wrong person.

But in the event they are not chosen, I'm not about to give the election to Trump. Are YOU?

[LisaL]

13. Exactly.

We don't know yet who Biden selected. But whoever he does select, it's not like we have a choice not to vote for him, considering the alternative.

[brush]

15. It's not an insult, it's explaining the reality of the situation.

It's time to share the power with the people who have been most loyal the party. I don't get why that is so hard to understand. Now is the perfect time for the Democratic Party to demonstrate to the nation how to be inclusive.

Don't just talk the talk, walk the walk. Now's the time.

[LisaL]

17. Well, VP has no power, or haven't you heard?

[brush]

20. Come up to the 21st century. Have you heard of Joe Biden, Obama's VP...

or Cheney, Bush's VP? The president determines how he delegates, and Obama certainly put Biden in charge of some duties. And Cheney, do I even have to explain that?

[hlthe2b]

18. No. the reality of the situation is that you are suggesting it fine to not work for Biden IF

he does not pick one of the five women of color--that nearly everyone on DU that I have seen DOES SUPPORT and favor and certainly which I DO. When someone points out that we HAVE to defeat Trump regardless-- EVEN if Biden chooses someone else, then you construe that as not supporting a woman of color in the VP position. That is disingenuous as hell.

[brush]

21. Ok, you go with that.

[hlthe2b]

24. Not even denying that is the case. Ok. NOTED.

[StarfishSaver]

25. That's not it at all

Did you read what Daughtrey said? Do you know anything about her?

She's one of the smartest, harderst-working activists in the party. She has made clear she will work her ass off for Biden. But she's saying that, no matter how hard she works, she may not be able to drag an all-white ticket over the finish line.

I just don't see why that is so difficult to understand or why people are insisting on accusing her of threatening not to vote for Biden or not to work hard for him.

Daughtrey will probably work harder and smarter than just about anyone commenting here. She's warning that she needs some help.

[hlthe2b]

26. My comments were directed at the DUer to which I was responding. Your interjection is irrelevent

to that discussion.

[brush]

41. It's disappointing but some here have their heels dug in and...

won't budge from the status quo/business as usual. We move on. Let them stay behind.

[treestar]

33. Looking at it like that is divisive

It makes distinct groups and implies we can't be represented well by people with other characteristics.

[StarfishSaver]

39. How is it divisive. And who is it dividing?

Are you any less likely to vote Democratic or to support civil rights because this discussion is being had?

[LisaL]

2. Her other option are two white males.

Or not voting, i guess. In which case she will likely get two white males.

[StarfishSaver]

6. That's not what she's saying at all

Daughtrey is one of the harderst-working and most dedicated activists in the party. She's saying that it will be much, much harder to sell an all-white ticket in this cycle and she doesn't know if she can pull it off. It's a valid point.

[LisaL]

8. I can't control who Biden selects or doesn't.

But I am voting for Biden and whoever he selects.

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. I hear the frustration, but I haven't been taking any but the African American possibilities

seriously.

[snowybirdie]

5. How is this

any better than those who wouldn't vote last time because they didn't like Hillary? I appreciate this argument, but the Republic is in dire circumstances, and we must prioritize our demands. First, Elect Joe Biden. Then we can deal with all the other things we want from our national government.

[StarfishSaver]

7. She's not saying she won't vote

And she's not saying she won't work for the ticket. She is saying that an all-white ticket will make the work much harder and she's not sure she can pull it off.

Do you think that an all-white, all-male ticket would not be a problem?

[LisaL]

9. I think it's pretty certain Biden is not picking a male VP, but even if he does, I don't care.

I still vote for them.

[StarfishSaver]

14. Setting aside how YOU would vote, do you think Biden would have a harder time getting elected

if his running mate was another white man?

[LisaL]

16. My guess is no, but seeing as how he made a promise to select a female VP,

my guess is he going to select a female VP. He never promise that female will be of a specific race.

[StarfishSaver]

19. The fact that he didn't promise a black woman doesn't mean we can't expect it

But just as women feel perfectly comfortable with Biden promising a female running mate because they think it's time and including and respecting a key demographic will improve his chances of being elected, selecting a black woman is just as valid and likely to have a better outcome. It, for some reason, many of the same people who think it's great that he's making gender a major factor in his choice seem to have a problem with race being a major factor.

And just as an all-male ticket will indeed make a Biden victory harder to attain, so would an all-white ticket.

[LisaL]

22. You don't always get what you want.

[StarfishSaver]

28. Wow

[brush]

12. See post#10.

[Devil Child]

23. Meh n/t

[LanternWaste]

27. No surprise you express that sentiment...

A vigorous defense of Amy Cooper's actions can take the wind out of anyone's sails.

[Devil Child]

47. With you being the wind beneath my wings, I need never worry about the wind on my sails. n/t

[ProfessorGAC]

29. Does Anybody Vote For...

...or adjust their workload over the running mate?
I first voted for POTUS in 1976 and I never considered the VP pick aside from the "heartbeat away" perspective.
As long as the pick was competent, that didn't have the slightest impact on my decision to vote for the candidate themselves.
I think this entire national discussion is silly.

[Awsi Dooger]

35. Virtually nobody

There can be impact in the home state if that state is seldom if ever represented on the national ticket. It averaged 4 points for a while, in terms of partisan index shift.

But that seemed to lessen as the nation became more polarized. Now I think it only applies to less populated non-competitive states.

[StarfishSaver]

38. Normally, the answer would be no

But I strongly believe that a black running mate will have a huge impact in the black community and will probably be a major incentive for many black voters to stand in line for hours and try to navigate through the Byzantine maze the Republicans have erected to keep them from voting.

This goes beyond voting and not voting. Most Democrats and most black voters will vote no matter what. But there is a segment of black voters for whom voting isn't as simple as going over to the local school and voting on their way to work. For these people, voting is an ordeal. Expecting them to "just vote" is often a bridge too far - it's just not that simple. But if they are someone who looks like them on the ticket, that could be enough to encourage them to make huge sacrifice to cast a vote.

[ProfessorGAC]

40. Voting Difficulty Is A Problem...

...we all can agree exists. That a fair point.
But, given the choice this year, I think the VP pick is even less motivating. Even given your scenario.
Vote for Perseus or the Kraken? I think few people, of any color, will be motivated by who Perseus' wingman(woman) is.
I get what you're saying, but I just feel the circumstances are unique.

[StarfishSaver]

42. I don't agree

I think black voters will be extremely motivated if the VP nominee is a woman of color.

May I ask if you are white?

[ProfessorGAC]

45. Conversation Over

[StarfishSaver]

46. Why?

What's wrong with asking you that?

We are all informed by our experiences in life and those experiences are almost always affected by our race and can cause us to view things through different prisms. That's not a value judgment - it's just a fact.

I think someone who is used to having presidential candidates that are the same race as they are may (although not necessarily) have a different perspective about the impact that could have on someone who has never experienced it.

It's unfortunate that it you find that so offensive that you ended the conversation.

[nsd]

30. Who?

[StarfishSaver]

32. It's really too bad you have to ask

[treestar]

31. What if Biden picks a white woman?

Now we have some people who are going to complain because this is brought up this way. It is unreasonable to expect a black person on every ticket we ever run in the future. And race should not come into why we make the pick. President Obama earned his victory on his own merits and so should anyone else on the ticket.

[StarfishSaver]

36. "It is unreasonable to expect a black person on every ticket we ever run in the future"?

Wow.

Considering having a black person on the ticket this time would be only the second time in 230 years and a few hundred presidential and VP candidates that a black person has been on a national ticket, I think having a black person on the next few tickets in the future doesn't pose a really big problem.

In fact, maybe we should ask whether it's reasonable to assume every ticket in the future should have a white person on it?

Funny how some people see diversity as an anomaly.

[LisaL]

37. It's unreasonable to argue that because he promised to select a woman,

then we should expect that this woman is going to be a woman of color. He didn't promise that.
I don't know whom he is going to select. But I don't have any specific expectations he didn't promise to make.

[StarfishSaver]

43. So, unless a candidate promises in advance he's going to select a person of color

it's unreasonable for people of color to ask or expect him to do so?

Fortunately, elections and politics don't work that way.

[SlogginThroughIt]

34. Why the fuck are we doing this?

You know when the media says the Dems are in disarray?

THIS IS WHY!!!!!

[StarfishSaver]

44. Actually, that's NOT why

But the media - and apparently some outside of the media - tend to get salty and defensive whenever black women speak their minds and, while they think nothing of white folk giving their opinions, accuse black women of causing trouble when we do it.