Kamala to protestors: wop, wop, wop

Harris knows sometimes you gotta pop out and show protestors.

Here’s my purposely bad take for the day.

Pro-Palestinian protestors interrupted Kamala Harris’ campaign speech in Michigan. It didn’t do what they wanted it to do.

When they first started chanting, Harris gave them some breathing room.

Her response was delicate and affirming of their right to be heard in a democracy.

“It’s all good. It’s all good. I’m here because we believe in democracy. Everyone’s voice matters,” she said.

Then, with the demeanor of an old school teacher, she said, “But I’m speaking now.”

The crowd roared. It drowned out the protestors.

Harris attempted to focus on Project 2025, the conservative blueprint for turning Trump into a king and the United States into 1984.

The protestors had no time for that. Palestine. Their one and only issue. So, they kept chanting with intent to disrupt her. If only they could embarrass the Democrats before a national audience, she would bend to their will and pledge to tame Israel.

She still wasn’t having it.

“You know what, if you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, I’m speaking.”

Cue applause.

We should all know how this is going to play with the single-issue Palestine activists. They will paint Harris as a genocide supporter and Democrats as weak on this and other issues.

I care about the needless suffering growing in Gaza, Congo, Burma, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Syria, and elsewhere. We should make demands on our government to stop genocide where they can and to do no harm where they can’t.

The juvenile brain can sometimes hold only one idea at a time. There are many constituencies who feel equally as self-righteous about their issue and would feel justified in stopping Harris from speaking. Climate change activists will tell you their issue is world-ending and worthy of disrupting business as usual. Black reparations activists will tell you if we don’t beat up the Democrats about their issue, we’ll remain slaves. Trans people could easily make a case for protesting national Democrats until they make a pledge to pass legislation to protect their lives.

The fact that they only protest Democrats and not Republicans kills one of their key talking points, that there is no difference between the two parties.

Harris modeled what Democrats should do to keep their eyes on the prize. Project 2025 is an existential threat. It replaces our government workers with right-wing cronies, shuts down institutions that hold the country accountable for respecting our civil liberties, destroys public education, and creates a portfolio of social restrictions that will make men involuntary soldiers for white supremacy and women their domesticated baby-making machines.

With 90 days until one of the most consequential elections in our lifetime, we should have zero patience for disruptions.

Protestors will assume a position of power by threatening to sabotage our election by withholding their vote. They are negotiating. Their leverage is risking a Trump presidency, and they feel no remorse in saying if he wins, it won’t be their fault. It will be ours for not conforming to their superior logic.

Knowing that they are stuck on stupid, and we have little time, we should not negotiate. We should focus on turning out the voters who won’t sit on the sidelines babbling like fools as the rights of our people and the social safety net that keeps millions alive face extinction.

Let the bystanders be bystanders—irrelevant people. And realize, when they come to you, Harris looks weak on a national stage; she should hear Kendrick Lamar in her ear.

Sometimes, you gotta pop out and show them.