Christian F. Nunes: Kamala Harris can overcome sexism's last stand

If we want to save democracy, something has to change.

The question isn’t whether voters are ready for a woman leader. Every time this sexist trope is used against Vice President Kamala Harris, voters see it for what it is — a cheap shot intended to keep her from shattering that last glass ceiling over the White House.

Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, has more than proved her integrity, leadership and effectiveness.

A better question is whether voters are ready to support that proven leader, stand behind her when she’s viciously attacked, and be her allies on the campaign trail and, once elected, in governing.

Women know they are ready to lead, and leading every day. There isn’t a challenge they can’t meet or an obstacle too daunting to tackle. And they know that to win in November, Harris will have to overcome centuries of sexism and decades of extremist politics that led to former President Donald Trump’s rise and return.

To succeed as the first woman president, Harris must depend on a broad coalition of support, one built on shared values and fundamental rights, not partisan bickering.

As the first woman president — and the first Black and Asian American woman in the White House — Harris will bring these experiences to the job, and it's about time.

But as a candidate, Harris will face what may be the last stand of systemic sexism in our presidential politics.

Sebastian Gorka, a former Trump administration official, used a racist phrase from the 1950s when he said on Newsmax about Harris: “She’s a DEI hire, right? She’s a woman. She’s colored. Therefore, she’s got to be good.”

Less than a year ago, Pew Research surveyed voter attitudes toward women and political leadership, especially on the importance of electing a woman president.

Only 1 in 4 said they thought it was extremely or very likely that the U.S. would elect a woman president in their lifetime. When asked why fewer women than men are in office, 54% said women need to do more to prove themselves, and 46% said many Americans aren’t ready to elect a woman to high office.

That’s the result of the history of sexism that's baked into our politics — a history we can and must change.

Gender will matter in this election, just as it has in so many others — but maybe in a different way.

In 2016, 53% of white women voted for Trump, while 94% of African-American women and 69% of Latinas voted for Hillary Clinton. A repeat of that result could mean defeat for Harris.

Of course, the historic nature of Harris’ candidacy will make gender a central issue in this campaign. Her opponents will try to put her on the defensive and make her explain why her gender isn’t an obstacle. Voters will see through that one, too.

The issue of women in politics shouldn’t be an issue. It should just be a fact. And it certainly shouldn’t be a weapon to diminish and weaken our democracy.

We can’t accept a campaign system where men have a head start and the finish line is placed out of reach for many women.

More and more, today’s voters — especially younger voters — are motivated not by partisanship or personal attacks but by their values, such as the right to vote, reproductive rights, gender equality, pay fairness and safety in school and the workplace.

Those are the cornerstones of our democracy. Women can be just as vigorous defenders of democracy as anyone. If we say that democracy is the “government of the people, by the people and for the people,” then that must include all the people -- not just, as the Founders believed, other white men.

These are different times, and we are a different nation, one that we’re still creating and improving. Harris’ presidential candidacy will show how blasting gender bias in politics, along with that last glass ceiling, is long overdue.