Your response to the op-ed is so much better than the original piece! I see gender all over this -- and maybe Machiavelli is helpful (sorry, I am a theorist). Shape shifting (bad) v. "virtú" (good)? Is it "weak" or (for Machiavelli) womanly to change your mind? OR, is the true ability leaders need the ability to adroitly read a political situation and adapt? What bothers Trump and others about Harris is that she is virtú in a pantsuit. She supported Biden when he was the candidate. She changed her presentation as soon as SHE was the candidate. She has a record and she is selectively emphasizing what she thinks will be most legible to the voters she needs. She read the political moment better than a lot of pundits -- and she has not made a big mistake yet.
Your response to the op-ed is so much better than the original piece! I see gender all over this -- and maybe Machiavelli is helpful (sorry, I am a theorist). Shape shifting (bad) v. "virtú" (good)? Is it "weak" or (for Machiavelli) womanly to change your mind? OR, is the true ability leaders need the ability to adroitly read a political situation and adapt? What bothers Trump and others about Harris is that she is virtú in a pantsuit. She supported Biden when he was the candidate. She changed her presentation as soon as SHE was the candidate. She has a record and she is selectively emphasizing what she thinks will be most legible to the voters she needs. She read the political moment better than a lot of pundits -- and she has not made a big mistake yet.
Ooooh that's a lot of smart stuff that I'll need to think about.