To hear it from every right-wing news outlet in the world, Kamala Harris is already a failure–a laughing idiot who degrades the American position-ad Biden is flat out weak. This is a constant narrative. This is how republicans will, inevitably, regain the presidency and do so in the form of Trump most likely. The narrative is the most important thing. The truth is irrelevant.
Back in July of 21 The L.A. Times wrote a story about how Harris’ laughter was a soundcheck of American divisiveness. Note: This is a long long time before the latest snafu that Harris’ laugh was front and center in the culture war in America. The latest incident occurred during a press conference where she and the leader of another nation were being asked a question about whether or not the US would take more refugees. This has been a sensitive and difficult issue between the two nations and Harris chuckled–ostensibly about the awkwardness of the silent moment–said, “Ok” and replied, “A friend in need is a friend indeed.” In other words, she was trying to get the President of Poland to answer the question he was being asked before she offered her response. Of course, he laughed too. Others in the crowd laughed. Harris got raked over the coals alone.
Welcome to politics. Welcome to optics. I’ve seen three different versions of the video in three different efforts to see what actually happened. Two were obvious edits, removing content the first had in place in order to make it seem like she just started laughing maniacally. Optics. That is why they will win.
I’ve seen this behavior–this kind of laughter–before. It was a staple of the way my mom and most of the black women I’ve known my entire life communicate. Whether or not it is inappropriate is not for me to decide. What I can say is that it is generally a response to the absurdity of the moment. Where some people turn to anger or somberness in such moments, similar moments are met, by black women, with a ‘oh no he didn’t’ laugh.
Right or wrong, this is the way.