Kamala Harris: The Politics of Contradiction

Identity, Power, and the Neoliberal Order in American Politics

In Caleb Maupin's book Kamala Harris and the Future of America, Harris’ family background, personal life, political background, and psychological motivations play a significant role in understanding her political trajectory and the contradictions Maupin highlights. This discussion delves into each of these aspects in relation to Maupin’s broader critique.

Family Background

Kamala Harris was born in Oakland, California, to two immigrant parents: her father, Donald Harris, a Jamaican-born Marxist economist, and her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, an Indian-born cancer researcher. Donald Harris was a professor of economics at Stanford University and openly identified as a Marxist during his academic career. He advised several Jamaican prime ministers, including Michael Manley, who was known for his socialist policies. This connection to leftist thought, particularly Marxism, forms a critical part of Maupin’s critique of Harris.

Maupin views Harris’ father as an influential figure who introduced her to leftist ideas during her formative years, though he argues that Harris later distanced herself from these ideological roots. Harris’ mother, on the other hand, was a highly respected scientist who was deeply involved in civil rights activism, particularly in the 1960s when Harris was growing up. Maupin points out that while Kamala Harris often invokes her mother's legacy in her speeches and public persona, she is largely silent about her father’s Marxist background, which could be politically inconvenient for her rise in mainstream U.S. politics.

Donald Harris and Shyamala Gopalan divorced when Kamala was young, and Harris was raised primarily by her mother. In his book, Maupin suggests that the custody battle between her parents, as well as her estrangement from her father, played a significant role in shaping Harris’ view of herself and the world. Donald Harris, in later years, publicly criticized Kamala’s political career, particularly her 2020 presidential campaign, accusing her of invoking harmful racial stereotypes about Jamaicans when she joked about smoking marijuana. This estrangement from her father is a recurring theme in Maupin's portrayal of Harris as a figure who distances herself from her more radical roots in favor of political expediency.

Personal Life

Kamala Harris has consistently emphasized the influence of her mother on her personal and professional life. In her speeches and autobiography, The Truths We Hold, Harris frequently recounts stories about her childhood and her mother’s guidance in shaping her views on justice and equality. Maupin notes that Harris rarely mentions her father, despite his significant role as a Marxist economist and civil rights activist.

In her personal life, Harris is married to Doug Emhoff, a lawyer who became the first Second Gentleman in U.S. history after Harris was elected Vice President. Maupin does not focus heavily on her marriage, but he does imply that Harris’ image as a successful woman of color is integral to her political persona, aligning with the Democratic Party’s emphasis on diversity and representation.

Harris’ personal history is also marked by her rise through California’s legal and political system, including her tenure as San Francisco’s District Attorney and later as the Attorney General of California. Maupin argues that her personal ambition and calculated decisions in these roles reflect a desire to maintain power rather than a commitment to justice, a point he connects to her family background and upbringing. He suggests that Harris’ experiences of discrimination, combined with the tumultuous relationship with her father, have contributed to a sense of personal grievance that influences her approach to governance.

Political Background

Kamala Harris’ political career began in the legal field, where she served as a prosecutor and eventually became the District Attorney of San Francisco and then the Attorney General of California. Maupin takes issue with Harris’ prosecutorial record, arguing that it contradicts her public image as a progressive. He criticizes her for supporting policies that reinforced mass incarceration, particularly for low-level drug offenses, and for her role in cases where she sought to block the release of exculpatory evidence.

Harris’ political background is marked by what Maupin sees as a tension between her stated commitment to justice and equality and her actions as a prosecutor, which he argues contributed to systemic injustices. Maupin points to several controversial moments in Harris’ career:

• The Kevin Cooper Case: Harris’ office fought to block DNA evidence testing that could have proven the innocence of Cooper, a Black man on death row, a decision that Maupin highlights as evidence of her willingness to overlook justice in favor of maintaining her "tough on crime" image.

• Prison Labor: As California’s Attorney General, Harris’ office argued against the early release of nonviolent offenders, citing the state’s need for cheap prison labor. This, Maupin argues, aligns Harris with the exploitation of marginalized communities rather than their liberation.

Harris’ rise within the Democratic Party, culminating in her election as Vice President, is seen by Maupin as indicative of the party’s broader embrace of identity politics without a corresponding commitment to substantial economic or social reform. He argues that Harris’ career reflects the Democratic Party’s neoliberal shift, where racial and gender diversity are championed, but systemic issues such as mass incarceration and wealth inequality are left unaddressed.

Psychological Issues and Mindset

Maupin offers a psychological critique of Kamala Harris, suggesting that her actions and political stances are shaped by a deep sense of personal grievance and a desire for vengeance. He argues that Harris uses her experiences of discrimination, both racial and gender-based, to justify her harsh prosecutorial policies, framing her personal struggles as a rationale for being tough on crime.

Maupin points to several instances where Harris invokes her childhood experiences to defend controversial policies:

• Prosecuting Parents for Truancy: Harris has recounted how, as a prosecutor, she took a hard stance against parents whose children were habitually truant, a policy that disproportionately affected low-income families and communities of color. Maupin argues that Harris justified this by invoking her own childhood and the importance of education, suggesting that her personal experiences led her to adopt punitive measures rather than empathetic or reform-oriented policies.

• Invoking Her Childhood Against Biden: During a 2020 Democratic primary debate, Harris famously confronted Joe Biden over his past opposition to busing, framing herself as a victim of racial segregation. While this moment gained her significant attention and praise, Maupin sees it as part of a pattern where Harris uses personal stories to deflect from her record, rather than engaging in a meaningful critique of systemic racism.

Maupin suggests that Harris' psychological mindset is one of personal retribution, where her own experiences of marginalization and hardship justify harsh governance. He argues that Harris sees herself as a victim and, in turn, adopts a mindset that rationalizes punitive policies against those she deems responsible for societal dysfunctions.

Harris as a Symbol of Contradiction

In Maupin’s view, Kamala Harris is a symbol of the contradictions within contemporary American politics, particularly within the Democratic Party. She represents the use of identity politics as a tool for political advancement while maintaining policies that harm the very communities she claims to champion. Her family background, personal life, and political career all contribute to the persona she presents to the public—one that is progressive and rooted in social justice, but which Maupin argues is deeply flawed and ultimately aligned with neoliberal and authoritarian practices.

Maupin’s psychological critique of Harris paints her as a figure motivated by personal grievances and a desire for power, which, he argues, makes her a dangerous political figure. He believes that a Kamala Harris presidency would likely continue policies that maintain systemic injustices, while using identity politics and personal narratives to shield her from criticism. For Maupin, Harris is emblematic of a broader political class that uses progressive language while continuing the status quo of neoliberal governance and repression.

Reading List:

On Kamala Harris and Her Political Career:

1. Harris, Kamala. The Truths We Hold: An American Journey. Penguin Press, 2019.

   • Harris’ autobiography offers insight into her personal and political life, including key moments of her career and the values she claims drive her political actions.

2. Maupin, Caleb. Kamala Harris and the Future of America. CPI Publications, 2020.

   • Maupin’s critical take on Harris’ record and the broader implications of her career, with a focus on mass incarceration and identity politics.

3. Alexander, Michelle. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. The New Press, 2010.

   • Provides a framework to understand the systemic issues of mass incarceration that Maupin critiques Harris for upholding during her tenure as a prosecutor.

4. Bouie, Jamelle. "The Two Faces of Kamala Harris." The New York Times, August 2020.

   • A journalistic analysis of the duality in Harris’ political persona as a progressive prosecutor and her role in enforcing punitive measures.

On Identity Politics and Neoliberalism:

5. Fraser, Nancy. The Old is Dying and the New Cannot Be Born: From Progressive Neoliberalism to Trump and Beyond. Verso, 2019.

   • Explores the rise of identity politics and its intersection with neoliberalism, providing context for understanding Harris’ use of identity in her political career.

6. Lorde, Audre. Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches. Crossing Press, 1984.

   • A foundational text on the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality, important for understanding the broader implications of identity politics in modern American politics.

On American Political Trends:

7. Packer, George. The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2013.

   • Examines the unraveling of traditional American political and economic systems, setting the stage for the political environment in which figures like Kamala Harris rise.

8. Klein, Naomi. The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism. Metropolitan Books, 2007.

   • A deep dive into how neoliberal policies are often implemented during crises, which helps explain the role of figures like Harris in maintaining the status quo under the guise of reform.

On Psychological and Motivational Analysis of Politicians:

9. McAdams, Dan P. George W. Bush and the Redemptive Dream: A Psychological Portrait. Oxford University Press, 2011.

   • Provides insight into how personal narratives shape political personas, useful for understanding Maupin’s psychological critique of Harris.

10. Freud, Sigmund. Civilization and Its Discontents. W.W. Norton & Company, 1930.

    • Freud’s exploration of the tension between individual desires and societal rules is helpful in analyzing Harris’ mindset as presented by Maupin.