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Ignoring the reactionary politics of elected / campaigning people of color, and instead pointing to someone of their race being elected as a progressive victory is a form of racism.
It also shows how central race is to the mind of Americans - yes even liberals, obviously also Portlanders - that they would forego their supposed political convictions to bolster someone because of their race.
The mayoral race in Gresham looks poised to elect one of the shittiest local conservative political figures I have ever had to sit and listen to in his capacity as a TriMet board member. It isn’t good for Gresham just because he is Black.
Mingus Mapps is not a victory for Portland because of his race. Teressa Raiford’s write in teenagers centered her race to coopt a movement opposing police brutality and actively prevented progress on police brutality. She’s also a NIMBY.
Khanh Pham is a miraculously gifted policy nerd and one of the most progressive people to join our state legislature. She is also Vietnamese American and that rules for (my) majority API district which she represents. If she had the donors of Mapps I would vote against her.
Jo Ann Hardesty is one of the hardest working elders in Oregon’s civil rights movement. Having her in elected office is amazing. The fact she is a Black woman is the icing, not the cake. If she had Raiford’s housing policies I would vote against her because I’m a renter.
Dan Ryan being gay doesn’t make me feel any better as a queer man considering his politics are falling right in line with Ted Wheeler’s. Prove me wrong here, Dan. Please.
Liberal tokenization of identity is so strong, and its pull is toxic. People want me to get excited that good old Joe Biden put a woman of color on his VP ticket but would be extremely upset with me if I mention her record on prosecutions or his record on anything.
I’ve kept my head down and worked to try and win progressive policies and elected officials this year because it matters a lot to me and to where I live. This is full time work and not a hobby, as I deeply care about outcomes, who these people impact. Stepping into public life...
and running for office should mean that your personal story becomes secondary to the people your policies will help or hurt. Not the intents you claim, the actual resulting impacts. This is why you should be particularly wary of any candidate who refuses to take...
a policy position on major issues we face, who run only on identity. Joe Biden, a decent man with a Black VP. Mingus Mapps, who has Black sons. Teressa, a Black woman who does the work. If they refuse to take positions campaigning they have nothing to be accountable to governing.
Those of you who bought those arguments may think you did something commendable by sending people of color to do a pretty thankless job, holding public office. But the positions they take or would take in those spaces will be regrettable and you should try harder.
Have higher standards.
