CNN’s David Axelrod Blasts ‘Racial Bias’ And ‘Sexism’ After Kamala Harris Loss: ‘Let’s Be Absolutely Blunt!’
CNN contributor David Axelrod called on analysts to remain “clear-eyed” about “racism” and “sexism” as one reason for Vice President Kamala Harris’s defeat to former President Donald Trump in the presidential election.
Trump was declared victorious over Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election on Wednesday, positioning himself on the brink of a historic political resurgence.
In the post-election night analysis, Axelrod remained wary of blaming the Harris’s loss entirely on prejudice but said that anyone who doesn’t think it impacted the outcome was “wrong.”
You know, I would love to hear from Van on this, but let‘s be honest on this, okay, let’s be absolutely blunt about it. There were appeals to racism in this campaign, and there is racial bias in this country and there is sexism in this country, and anybody who thinks that that did not in any way impact on the outcome of this race is wrong.
I am not saying that was the main reason that Kamala Harris lost and Donald Trump won. I think they ran, honestly, strategically, his campaign, I said many times, they ran a very smart campaign. It was ultimately a rational, well-conceived and well-executed campaign for an often irrational candidate, and they overcame him to sell his message or the message that they thought he should be selling to the country. But let‘s not confuse what this was and wasn‘t. Let‘s be very clear-eyed about it.
Co-panelist Van Jones echoed the frustration, arguing that there were limitations imposed on candidates of color.
“There is a license that [Trump] had to just be a fool, just to be an obnoxious ass to everyone,” Jones continued, noting that for candidates lacking “that phenotype,” such behavior is unthinkable.
Despite Harris’s qualifications and experience spanning the judicial, legislative, and executive branches Jones suggested that her defeat reflects society’s persistent biases.
“She is not Oprah or Beyoncé,” he observed.
Watch above on CNN.
