In the middle of the night, as it became glaringly apparent that Donald Trump was storming to an eye-popping second term after a four-year hiatus, pundits scrambled to rewrite their briefs - and one voice stood out. With haunting clarity, historian Dominic Sandbrook called time on the truth that has been hiding in plain sight.
He explained that not only was much of blue-collar America not ready for a female commander-in-chief, but Kamala Harris’s unsuitability for the role of president ran far deeper than that.
According to Sandbrook’s thesis, too many Americans are “suspicious of someone from the coast, from the big cities, part of the liberal metropolitan elite”. In layman’s terms, if you were seeking a candidate with a chance of beating Trump (something the Democrats singularly failed to do), “you wouldn’t pick a mixed-race woman from California”.
Ooof! The truth hurts, especially when tinged with real-time misogyny and racism. Lots of Americans will be hurting today, not least that other Californian, mixed-race, big-city woman, Meghan (nee Markle), who, like Kamala Harris, personifies the liberal metropolitan elite. The actor-cum-duchess will have taken the Democrats’ thumping defeat personally, and with good reason.
Like so many Hollywood luminaries, Meghan made clear her disdain for Trump early on. In 2016, the then Suits actor told a US chat show that the prospect of a Trump presidency left her thinking: “I might just stay in Canada.”
Two months later, she went on a blind date with Prince Harry – and, a mere five months after her declaration of contempt for the presidential candidate, Trump was elected the 45th president of the United States of America. Presumably, his entry into the White House made her decision to marry a prince and move to Britain all the more straightforward.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 08, 2024-Ausgabe von The Independent.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 08, 2024-Ausgabe von The Independent.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
All Blacks offer benchmark for Irish great expectations
Victory for Ireland over New Zealand this evening won't wash away the pain of 14 October 2023.
Arteta's vision for Arsenal at a crossroads after Edu exit
Arsenal have become unaccustomed to being underdogs.
Centre stage for England's most in-form midfielder
After becoming a parent, after earning a place in the tabletopping team, after a stellar player-of-the-match performance in a high-profile game and after providing one of the Champions League highlights of the week, Curtis Jones has another milestone occasion in his sights: a first senior international cap for England.
United win ends year-long wait for success in Europe
For a club who have been champions of Europe three times, a win in continental competition really shouldn’t be such a rarity.
Hoorah for interest cut but we need another one soon
After a turbulent few weeks, the Bank of England yesterday delivered a soothing balm to Britain's hard-pressed borrowers with a quarter-point cut in interest rates.
Sainsbury's to raise prices due to Budget 'pressure'
Sainsbury's has said shoppers will face higher prices as a result of the surprise tax changes announced in last week's Budget, which will hit the retailer with an extra £140m in costs.
Keyboard warriors: a night at the Superbowl of esports
The O2 arena sold out in a Glastonbury-esque frenzy, with resale tickets going for up to 1,000 online. All this for the chance to watch people play a desktop game on a jumbo screen? Annabel Nugent went to see what the big deal is
NOBODY'S PERFECT
Eddie Redmayne has won rave reviews as an assassin in a TV adaptation of The Day of the Jackal’ but Geoffrey Macnab says it isn’t a patch on the 1973 movie starring Edward Fox
How a new generation is giving granny tights a leg up
Kayleigh Werner explores how Gen Z superstars like Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift have reclaimed a hosiery staple most Brits associate with Nory sa and made it me
PREACHY CLEAN
Videos of CleanTok influencers making their homes shine have more than 150 billion views. Ellie Muir looks at whether their bizarre methods are setting unhealthily high standards