of Revolution’s server farms like virtual hordes of perseverating, flying monkeys homing in on my ruby slippers. On Thanksgiving Day a year before the election, Kamala e-mailed me her recipe for corn bread dressing and requested $5 or more. In February, she rhapsodized about traipsing the black housing projects in Iowa, canvassing for Obama in 2008, and could I spare $5? E-mails addressed personally to me from Kamala praised her fight to make Congress stop child sex trafficking on the
Harris emerged as a liberal, but not very progressive winner who is probable presidential material in an age when most politicians are viewed as controlled by special interests. Like Trump, Harris is a magnet for love or hate trolling by the denizens of our bipolar political system. The main goal of campaigning in the age of social-media tagging is to be perceived by emotionally labile voters as the lesser evil. As Harris’ star gains national shine, the progressive Indivisible types will continue to sing her praises. Conservative media are already on the march to besmirch her. In July, the conservative American Spectator labeled Harris “a left-wing dingbat of singular rudeness ... a clawing feline ... vapid and dim ... feminist whining ... culturally degenerate.” But in an interesting twist, Jerry Roberts, a veteran California newsman of the liberal variety, wrote that Harris is “a shallow narcissist” who looks in the mirror and sees a president. Proof: she avoids reporters. In truth, Harris has very little to gain from stepping into the national searchlight at this stage of her political career. She might be seen as too smooth. CAN YOU SPARE A FIVER? Harris’ high-tech $15 million senate campaign smothered conservative congressperson Loretta Sanchez’s $4.5 million fizzle. Harris’ marketing was designed by Revolution Messaging and ActBlue, the same imagery and fundraising wizards who guided Bernie Sander’s race. Targeted e-mails flew out
Internet, and could I give $5 or more to the struggle? Every day, I learned again about her family’s ancestral and civil-rights background and her knowledge of hip hop and Obama, Obama, Obama, he likes Kamala. How about $5?
Only one in five of Harris' contributors donated less than $200.
One day, Kamala’s husband asked me for $5 or more. At the time, Emhoff was a managing partner at Venable LLP, whose core clients include Microsoft, ExxonMobil, Playboy Enterprises, Apple, Verizon, and trade associations that lobby Congress against Internet regulations. According to money-in- politics data website OpenSecrets, Google’s parent corporation Alphabet paid Venable $80,000 to lobby lawmakers on its behalf last year. Venable rakes in about $10 million a year lobbying lawmakers on behalf of scores of companies ranging from Native American tribes (gambling) to Oracle (government software) to Lockheed Martin (aerospace, weapons, parking meters) to Altria Group (tobacco). Last month, Emhoff joined the
American Consequences | 59
Made with FlippingBook Online document