Thoughts on Kamala the Lotus

It only took about 48 hours after President Biden announced the end of his candidacy for Vice President Kamala Harris to capture enough pledged delegates to be considered the new presidential nominee of the Democratic Party. The rush to anoint VP Harris as the new torchbearer for the party is, in my view, a pretty smart move politically. And judging by the record campaign donations over those 48 hours of roughly $100 million, the Democratic base is certainly excited about the new life Harris gives the party.

Now, while I don’t think Harris is the best candidate the Democrats could put up, I do think (and the markets think) that she has a far greater chance of beating former President Trump than the enfeebled President Biden had.

So, who is Kamala Harris? Despite her reign as vice president, there are still a lot of questions about her from the public now that she is vying for the top spot as de facto leader of the free world.

Almost exactly four years ago, when then-Senator Harris was picked as Biden’s running mate, I wrote a piece titled, “Kamala Means Lotus.” Given her meteoric rise to the top of the ticket since Sunday, I decided to review what I wrote in that piece. Well, as it turned out, my thoughts on Kamala Harris are still very much applicable.

Four years ago, I told you that in Greek mythology, a lotus is a legendary plant whose fruit induces a dreamy forgetfulness and a sort of indolent stupor reminiscent of paralytic intoxication. That sense of intoxication (albeit infused with excitement of the “new blood”) is what many Democrats are feeling today, as they know that a “lotus” has become the party’s presumptive presidential nominee.

You see, “Kamala” means “lotus” in Sanskrit.

Perhaps she was the obvious choice in this most unusual election year. I mean, Democrats would have come under some serious racial, gender and prejudice fire from their own if the first black female vice president had been passed over for, say, “another basic white male.”

Here’s what I said about Harris four years ago:

Kamala Devi Harris is…

• An experienced politico
• A graduate of the historically Black Howard University
• Proud of her prosecution of business, particularly the “Big Banks”
• “The best-looking attorney general,” according to President Obama
• A bold and vocal critic of President Trump and other administration officials
• A woman
• A woman of color

Indeed, in the identity-politics matrix of the Democratic Party, this lotus is an intoxicating mix of all things “good.”

Of course, she isn’t immune to criticism from her own, and particularly from progressives. In fact, some in the far extremes of the progressive movement have called her a “phony progressive” and have criticized Joe Biden for selecting a “top cop” like Harris in the midst of the then protests against what they call “excessive policing.”

Perhaps the greatest take-down of this sort involving Harris was delivered during the 2020 Democratic primary debates, and by the most interesting Democrat to seek the nomination, my friend and fellow U.S. Army veteran Tulsi Gabbard.

During a debate in July 2019, Gabbard criticized Harris’ aggressive record as a “drug warrior” and essentially called her a hypocrite. Of Harris, Gabbard said she “put over 1,500 people in jail for marijuana violations and then laughed about it when she was asked if she ever smoked marijuana.”

Gabbard went on to express her deep concerns about Harris’ prosecutorial record, saying, “There are too many examples to cite, but… she blocked evidence that would have freed an innocent man from death row until the courts forced her to do so. She kept people in prison beyond their sentences to use them as cheap labor for the state of California. And she fought to keep the cash bail system in place that impacts poor people in the worst kind of way.”

Ouch!

Yet, despite the critics on her own team, Democrats of all stripes have understandably coalesced in support of “the Lotus.”

Why? Because the Lotus offers up the promise of the one thing that unites all Democrats — the need to keep what they perceive as the “existential threat” of Donald Trump as far from the Oval Office as possible.

Finally, there’s one very “Deep Woodsish” observation of note here about Kamala the Lotus — she does indeed seem to have been aptly named.

You see, the lotus flower has an interesting life cycle. Its roots are based in mud. And in the marsh lands of its native India and Vietnam, the lotus is submerged each night into the murky rivers it calls home. In the morning, the lotus blooms again without a hint of muddy residue on its petals.

It seems like a fitting metaphor for a life cycle spent in the Washington swamp.

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On the Wall of Death

Let me ride on the Wall of Death one more time
Let me ride on the Wall of Death one more time
You can waste your time on the other rides
This is the nearest to being alive
Oh let me take my chances on the Wall of Death
On the Wall of Death all the world is far from me
On the Wall of Death it’s the nearest to being free…

–Richard Thompson, “Wall of Death”

In the world of carnivals, the Wall of Death is an attraction featuring motorcycles wheeling around a silo-shaped structure, seeming to defy gravity due to the cylindrical force. In his 1982 song, “Wall of Death,” singer/songwriter and virtuoso guitarist Richard Thompson uses the Wall of Death as a metaphor for liberty: “On the Wall of Death, all the world is far from me/On the Wall of Death, it’s the nearest to being free.”

You see, in life, the most dangerous rides might cause the most tumult. Yet, ultimately, they’re the most enlivening. The most dangerous rides are also the ones that make life worth it. So, “You can waste your time on the other rides/But this is the nearest to being alive.” If you want to be truly alive, then take your chances on the Wall of Death of your choosing. And if you would like to see a clip of my version of this great song, just go to my Instagram page.

Wisdom about money, investing and life can be found anywhere. If you have a good quote that you’d like me to share with your fellow readers, send it to me, along with any comments, questions and suggestions you have about my newsletters, seminars or anything else. Click here to ask Jim.

In the name of the best within us,

Jim Woods