Meeting our idols does not always go according to our idealized expectations. Sometimes, coming face to face with the real deal leaves much to be desired and we may end up disappointed. However, this cannot be said of this adorable little girl’s encounter with her hero Kamala Harris.
Harris may not have biological kids of her own but that fact by itself says nothing about her character. What does, however, is the way her stepchildren proudly call her “Momala.” At the Democratic National Convention, her stepdaughter Ella Emhoff recalled how she met Harris at fourteen, and how “no matter what, Kamala was there for me. She was patient, caring, and always took me seriously.”
If you’ve seen Harris interacting with multiple different people, it should be indisputable how the Vice President has a genuinely empathetic and caring maternal side to her. Watch how effortlessly she channels Momala when meeting this young fan for the first time.
“We fight, we win.”
In an ideal world, this would be the kind of interaction that should fill anyone and everyone’s hearts. As much as some people would like it to be true, particularly when it suits them, kids this age cannot fake such a demonstration of happiness and adoration.
The most telling moment of this short but endearing video should be after Harris says, “That makes me so happy. Thank you.” Without being prompted, the little girl spontaneously reaches for another hug from the presidential candidate. Not because she’s the presidential candidate, but because she felt drawn to the kind and attentive lady in front of her.
It is unfortunate that, in the current political climate, even this kind of interaction can be picked apart and twisted into something else by people who wish to denigrate and dehumanize the opposition at all costs. It is too much for certain individuals to even consider that the person running against Donald Trump may possess unequivocally human qualities that are otherwise lacking in the out-of-touch billionaire.
Even though it is predictable at this point, it is nevertheless disheartening how some people can leap to the conclusion that even this innocent little girl must be helping in faking the interaction:
Others downright resort to denying reality:
This is confirmation bias at its finest. No matter what, this video, or any video that paints Harris in a positive light, would always be staged in some people’s heads.
But this is not the lowest people can go. Some individuals dare go even lower. One Republican netizen, perhaps too taken by the ridiculous “childless cat ladies” narrative started by JD Vance, seemingly believes that not having children makes one less of a woman.
Others, blatantly push the misogynist lie that supports the fallacious notion that a woman cannot climb as high in her career as Harris by merit alone:
Surely, Harris did not sleep with 4,442,781 people to get elected as California’s Attorney General in 2010.
Harris is paving the way and being an example to countless young women across the nation, particularly women of color. If the US, and other countries, have never had a female commander-in-chief it’s not because there haven’t been capable women up to the task. It’s because, in many and often subconscious ways, women are still viewed as inferior, less than. Many of the talking points the Right – as exemplified above – has used against the Democratic nominee prove the challenges women still face to be taken seriously and to be regarded with respect when they are trying to break a single panel on the patriarchal glass ceiling.
For these reasons, this wholesome interaction will surely be meaningful to this little girl, who may not yet have a solid grasp on politics but will nevertheless grow up seeing a woman like her bravely pave the way for others while fighting on their behalf.
