Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Until now.
Joe Biden spent eight years in the shadow of Barack Obama, waiting patently for his moment in the spotlight. Obama showed his appreciation by repeatedly urging Biden not to run for president. Good thing he didn't listen in 2020, because the former VP is now mere hours away from being sworn in as commander in chief.
At long last, it's Joe's time to shine.
But not really. Biden hasn't even taken the oath of office yet, but the professional journalists in the American media are already working tirelessly to fluff his presumed successor, Kamala Harris, who in recent days has been the subject of fawning press coverage that would make even Obama blush.
The media's deranged obsession with Kamala's choice of footwear seems likely to persist for at least another four years. CBS anchor Jane Pauley demanded to know why Harris wasn't wearing her signature converse sneakers during their interview on Sunday Morning.
Warnings from liberal activists, including former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett, about how focusing on a female politician's clothing is "sexist" and should be avoided continue to be ignored. Glamour and others, for example, recently reported on the "very cute blue and white unisex crew socks" Kamala was wearing in a viral TikTok posted by her niece, Meena Harris.
The VP-elect and her husband, Doug Emhoff, took part in joint interviews with a number of networks over the weekend. CNN got the deets on their first date. "It felt like we had known each other forever," said Emhoff. The esteemed news network also got the scoop on the Biden-Harris inauguration playlist.
The sheer volume of Harris fluff pieces published in recent days has been nothing short of impressive. "'A vice president like no other:' Kamala Harris steps into VP role with unique strengths – and unique challenges," reads the headline of a USA Today article published on Sunday. Liberal activists interviewed for the piece described Harris as "the physical embodiment of a multiracial democracy," whose mere existence is "an inspiration" and quite possibly "the antidote to … racism."
The Washington Post has published a number of Kamala articles, including one about her resilience in the face of Republican attacks, another about her resilience in the face of societal misogyny, and another about how the weight of history is on her shoulders.
The New York Times published a lengthy piece about how the diversity of her extended family is "another milestone" that "could broaden rigid ideas of politically palatable family dynamics or gender roles." An accompanying piece sought to answer the question on everyone's mind—"What's It Like to Have Kamala Harris as 'Momala'?"—by interviewing her adult stepchildren.
"I think the idea of sharing our parents with the world is kind of insane," said Ella Emhoff, a 21-year-old artist living in Brooklyn. "Like, it's a really cool thing to wrap your head around — because you get to share all the great things — but it's also like, Huh?!"
By contrast, the media stopped caring about Biden's children months ago. And while he might be president on paper, Biden just doesn't have the youth, sex appeal, and celebrity aura that journalists and other liberals have, for some reason, come to demand from their public servants.
Sorry, Joe.
🙁