The Long Knives Are Out For Kamala Harris

“Don’t start none, won’t be none!”

They would have left Kamala alone had she been content to stay in the middle of the pack; making no waves, hoping to be in the running for Vice-President once Joe Biden was officially the nominee. Why couldn’t she be satisfied with having raised her national profile, establishing herself as someone to be reckoned with… next time.

It was worrisome to the powers that be when 20,000 people showed up at the Oakland campaign rally which launched her bid to become President of the United States. Then delegate-rich California where she’s a popular Senator and former Attorney General moved up in the Primary process, advantage Harris. Then every time she appeared on television, like when she rattled William Barr during his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Kamala Harris demonstrated she was going to be a force to be reckoned with. Something had to be done to impede her progress.

Bernie Sanders wasn’t wrong with his complaints the 2016 nomination was rigged to give Hillary Clinton an edge. Democrat Party big wigs had settled on Hillary early and made little pretense as they helped clear the field for her, stacking the deck in her favor. Many of the same faces are back, convinced the need to defeat Trump justifies behaving in the same manner as before. This time wanting a coronation of Joe Biden, while encouraging all the candidates to speak no evil during the process,

Things were going according to plan, Biden had a big lead in the polls and was mostly staying quiet, lest he commits one of the gaffes he’s notorious for. The key to his nomination was his ability to maintain his grip on black voters, particularly black women voters who associate Biden with fonder times when Barack Obama was in office. There were no worries about the first states; mostly white Iowa and New Hampshire.

It was South Carolina with its large black population that offered the first test of Biden’s staying power. Rep. James Clyburn used the first dagger while hosting his famous “fish fry” where over 20 of the Presidential candidates had a chance to mingle with the South Carolina Democrat elite. Clyburn had promised he wouldn’t make any early endorsements, which apparently didn’t prevent him from targeting Harris and Cory Booker for backhanded compliments, intended to drag them down. He said she, “hasn’t spelled out the policy stuff with her vision,” odd since his own candidate was spending much of his campaign in hiding.

“I thought she would be surging a little more than she is.”

The Democrat Party is full of has-been and would-be power brokers salivating at the chance to gain influence with a Biden presidency. Things will be normal, a well-established hierarchy will step into place; unwilling to accept the uncertainty of a newcomer like Sanders or Harris. Not beholden to them for getting where they got. Then the Democrat debates came to Miami and over two hours Harris exposed how vulnerable Biden was and had all eyez on her as Tupac might say. In a telling scene, when the debate was over, a throng of black women crowded around Harris while Biden had none. The call went out, time for those in waiting to earn their keep.

All the opposition research ever compiled against Harris was put into play. Republicans and Democrats alike went on the attack to put the pretender to the throne back in her place. Black Republican strategist Ali Alexander tweeted that Kamala “wasn’t really black” because her parents were from India and Jamaica.

“I’m so sick of people robbing American Blacks (like myself) of our history. It’s disgusting.”

His tweet was picked up and retweeted thousands of times by Russian bots, and of course, troll Donald Trump, Jr. who later deleted the retweet.

Attacks were made on Kamala’s record as a prosecutor and Attorney General of California. Biden alluded to it during the debate saying, “I was a defense attorney,” others now claiming she wasn’t the progressive prosecutor she claims to have been. Fellow Californian and former Senator Barbara Boxer on an interview on MSNBC quickly pointed out that Harris once feted Biden. Boxer had once endorsed Harris in her winning bid to replace her as Senator but she answered the Biden call.

Right-wing newspapers and blogs are unanimous in their aversion to the possibility of another black President, a woman at that.

“Kamala Harris’ Attack On Joe Biden May Have Backfired “— RedState

“Kamala Harris barked up wrong tree in attacking Biden on race” — Washington Examiner

“Kamala Harris’ Baggage Could Be Just as Big of a Problem as Biden’s” — Vice News

President Trump chimed in saying Kamala Harris got “too much credit” for her debate performance. Forces from all sides are aligning against her, and by all appearances, she can handle it. She didn’t back down against William Barr, not against Joe Biden, and the likes of Donald Trump Jr and his daddy won’t concern her either. Overcoming the smoke-filled rooms of the Democratic leadership may be a hurdle she didn’t anticipate. But the election season is long and much can still happen. The long knives are out, but if you come after the Queen, you best not miss.