What Difference Does It Make? By Maria Grant

This week Donald Trump spoke at a National Association of Black Journalists Conference and said that Kamala Harris used to be Indian and now she says she’s Black. He went on to question, “So is she Indian or is she Black?” What I want to know is what difference does it make? 

Trump, a man who once claimed that Obama was not born in the United States and that he was the founder of ISIS, this week claimed that Kamala Harris does not really like Jewish people. Oh wait, she is married to a Jewish man. Trump then dug himself an even deeper hole when he claimed that all undocumented migrants coming into the country are taking “Black” jobs—whatever that means. 

I have grown weary of all these “dust ups” about race, gender identity, and more. Why don’t we just talk about the best person for the job? The best experience. The best judgment. The best platform to propel America in the right direction and not be so hung up on race, gender identity, and looks. 

For decades no one complained when two white guys were on the same ticket, which was the case for most of my life. Now, it’s wait, you can’t have two women on the same ticket. Wait, you can’t have a woman and a gay guy on the same ticket. Wait, you can’t have two Black people on the same ticket. Wait, you can’t have a Black woman and a Jewish man on the same ticket. And now, thanks to the Republican VP Nominee J.D. Vance, we can also discriminate against childless “cat ladies” who, according to him, should not have an equal say in political decisions. 

It is time to get over it. Here’s a concept. Let’s select the most qualified people to do the job, regardless of race, sex, or gender identity. 

A case in point. Many of my friends have said that they wish Harris would select Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg as her running mate. He has been in the military. He has been a mayor. He has had a cabinet post and thus has been on the national stage. And of equal importance, he is extremely articulate, quick on his feet, passionate about climate change, and resonates well with young voters. But then my friends go on to say, “It is not going to happen. We cannot have a woman—especially a Black woman—and a gay man on the ticket together. Not in this racist country. It is not going to work.” 

Should you care if the candidate is a convicted felon? The answer is yes. Should you care if the candidate lies consistently, or is patently unqualified given his past experience? The answer is yes. Should you care if the candidate is sexist or racist, discriminates against other Americans, and makes demeaning and cruel remarks about his opponent? The answer is yes. Should you care if the candidate espouses different views than your own about women’s reproductive rights, income inequality, climate change, education, taxes, and other substantive issues? The answer is yes.

It feels like some candidates are working from a playbook that worked decades ago but is no longer valid. Many Americans have evolved. The fact that a candidate is gay, or Black, or Jewish, or Catholic isn’t an issue for them. Many Americans have close relatives who are gay or trans, or of mixed race, and they want to be sure that they have the same rights and respect as every other American. 

It is time to challenge conventional wisdom. The whole argument that if we give marginalized people more power—more equality–we will lose what we have is bogus. A rising tide lifts all boats. 

I am making a fervent plea that we strive to seek the best candidate for the position regardless of race, gender identity, or looks. Let’s try to do the right thing for America. It is way past time to put divisive politics, gender, and race issues aside, and work with all our might to elect the most qualified candidates. This is a complex country with many pressing issues. We need to elect the best candidates who will implement appropriate solutions for the problems of the day. We must ensure that America works towards becoming the best that it can be. 

Civil rights icon John Lewis said it best when he said, “Ours is not the struggle of one day, one week, or one year. Ours is not the struggle of one judicial appointment or presidential term. Ours is the struggle of a lifetime, or maybe even many lifetimes, and each one of us in every generation must do our part.” 

We can do this. We can do better.

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of the Federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, piano, bicycling, kayaking, and nature.