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‘They see that swagger when Harris speaks’: How Howard University shaped Kamala Harris
Robin Givhan examines Sen. Kamala Harris’s political and racial identity. Ruth Eglash breaks down the negotiations for a new government in Israel. And Caroline Kitchener on who die-hard Hillary Clinton supporters will back in 2020.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
How Howard University shaped Kamala Harris
As Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) has campaigned for the Democratic presidential nomination, her four years at Howard have become central to her personal narrative and political identity.
To those who see her white husband and question her time in California as a prosecutor in a justice system that disproportionately punishes people of color, Howard has been her rejoinder. It’s her knowing nod to black voters and a character witness for anyone who says her personal heritage is disconnected from the African Americans’ history.
“It was such a conscious decision to surround herself in a black environment,” writer Robin Givhan says, “one that was really rooted in the history of blacks in America, one that — in particular — celebrated black exceptionalism. It seems to speak very deeply to the way that she defined herself.”
More from “The Pursuit,” a series on the 2020 presidential candidates:
- Is Kamala Harris black enough? Howard University is her answer to racial-identity doubters.
- Cory Booker and the Orthodox rabbi were like brothers. Now they don’t speak.
- How Pete Buttigieg went from war protester to ‘packing my bags for Afghanistan’
- For Bernie Sanders, the path to power began in a public-housing laundry room
- How a grieving mom changed Kirsten Gillibrand’s stance on guns
Israel votes in national election, again
For the second time this year, Israelis cast their ballots after Benjamin Netanyahu, the country’s longest-running prime minister, failed to form a majority coalition in April.
Although more than 90 percent of votes have been counted, it looks like “a dead heat between the two largest parties,” says Ruth Eglash, who covers Israel and the Paliestinian territories.
The two parties are the conservative Likud, and the left-centrist Blue and White party. Eglash says that, so far, it appears that Likud and Netanyahu still do not have the numbers to form a coalition.
“He is really known as the political Houdini in Israel, or ‘King Bibi’ even,” she says. “But it really comes down to the numbers.”
More on this topic:
- Israel’s two main parties locked in dead heat as negotiations begin for new government
- Israeli election leaves both major parties well short of a majority
- In Israeli election, a nation votes but one man could decide
Pantsuit Nation’s pick for 2020
There’s one thing that Hillary Clinton supporters can generally agree on, reporter Caroline Kitchener says.
“The number-one priority among Hillary die-hards is beating Donald Trump,” Kitchener says. “Every single person that I spoke to said that no matter who the nominee is, they will vote for that nominee.”
Beyond this consensus, pre-election allegiances are murky. Some expected former Clinton voters to dutifully enlist with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), another white woman in her 70s who talks policy. Others feel that the group should align with Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) or take refuge in former vice president Joe Biden, whom they think stands a fighting chance against President Trump.
“One of the women that I spoke to said this is not about being inspirational,” Kitchener says. “This is not about being historic. This is about winning.”
More on this topic:
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‘They see that swagger when Harris speaks’: How Howard University shaped Kamala Harris
Robin Givhan examines Sen. Kamala Harris’s political and racial identity. Ruth Eglash breaks down the negotiations for a new government in Israel. And Caroline Kitchener on who die-hard Hillary Clinton supporters will back in 2020.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
How Howard University shaped Kamala Harris
As Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) has campaigned for the Democratic presidential nomination, her four years at Howard have become central to her personal narrative and political identity.
To those who see her white husband and question her time in California as a prosecutor in a justice system that disproportionately punishes people of color, Howard has been her rejoinder. It’s her knowing nod to black voters and a character witness for anyone who says her personal heritage is disconnected from the African Americans’ history.
“It was such a conscious decision to surround herself in a black environment,” writer Robin Givhan says, “one that was really rooted in the history of blacks in America, one that — in particular — celebrated black exceptionalism. It seems to speak very deeply to the way that she defined herself.”
More from “The Pursuit,” a series on the 2020 presidential candidates:
- Is Kamala Harris black enough? Howard University is her answer to racial-identity doubters.
- Cory Booker and the Orthodox rabbi were like brothers. Now they don’t speak.
- How Pete Buttigieg went from war protester to ‘packing my bags for Afghanistan’
- For Bernie Sanders, the path to power began in a public-housing laundry room
- How a grieving mom changed Kirsten Gillibrand’s stance on guns
Israel votes in national election, again
For the second time this year, Israelis cast their ballots after Benjamin Netanyahu, the country’s longest-running prime minister, failed to form a majority coalition in April.
Although more than 90 percent of votes have been counted, it looks like “a dead heat between the two largest parties,” says Ruth Eglash, who covers Israel and the Paliestinian territories.
The two parties are the conservative Likud, and the left-centrist Blue and White party. Eglash says that, so far, it appears that Likud and Netanyahu still do not have the numbers to form a coalition.
“He is really known as the political Houdini in Israel, or ‘King Bibi’ even,” she says. “But it really comes down to the numbers.”
More on this topic:
- Israel’s two main parties locked in dead heat as negotiations begin for new government
- Israeli election leaves both major parties well short of a majority
- In Israeli election, a nation votes but one man could decide
Pantsuit Nation’s pick for 2020
There’s one thing that Hillary Clinton supporters can generally agree on, reporter Caroline Kitchener says.
“The number-one priority among Hillary die-hards is beating Donald Trump,” Kitchener says. “Every single person that I spoke to said that no matter who the nominee is, they will vote for that nominee.”
Beyond this consensus, pre-election allegiances are murky. Some expected former Clinton voters to dutifully enlist with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), another white woman in her 70s who talks policy. Others feel that the group should align with Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) or take refuge in former vice president Joe Biden, whom they think stands a fighting chance against President Trump.
“One of the women that I spoke to said this is not about being inspirational,” Kitchener says. “This is not about being historic. This is about winning.”
More on this topic:
Previous Episode
Anne Gearan explains the White House’s shifting messaging on Iran. Drew Harwell on how Beijing-based TikTok is suspected of censoring the Hong Kong protests. And Maura Judkis takes us into the kitchen with “Queer Eye” star Antoni Porowski.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Next Episode
Shane Harris on the whistleblower rattling the intelligence community. Juliet Eilperin explains the president’s move to take away California’s ability to set its own emission standards. And Maura Judkis on the legal challenges of opening a cannabis cafe.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
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