Photo: 1 Kamala Harris and Tim Walz enter Fiserv Forum stage together 03; Author: SecretName101; Lic.: CC BY 4.0
Donald Trump’s decisive victory in 2024 has exposed the cracks in progressive ideologies, none more glaring than modern feminism. The feminist movement, once focused on meaningful political goals, has devolved into a lifestyle prescription that no longer equips women to succeed on their own merits. Kamala Harris’s historic loss is a stark reminder of this failure.
For decades, feminism promised that women could achieve greatness if only external obstacles were removed. From Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique to Our Bodies, Ourselves, feminism preached empowerment through careerism and the rejection of traditional roles. But the movement’s crowning aspiration—a competent female leader—remains unfulfilled. Harris, the ultimate diversity pick, epitomizes this failure. Lacking charisma, substance, and leadership instincts, she squandered the opportunity to become America’s first female president.
Harris’s inadequacy becomes even more evident when compared to earlier feminist leaders like Dianne Feinstein and Nancy Pelosi. These women, though flawed, were political powerhouses. Feinstein endured personal threats and political adversity to lead during San Francisco’s darkest days. Pelosi, with her steely resolve, commanded the House of Representatives with an iron grip. Both transcended the barriers of their time, proving themselves in an era when women truly had to fight for respect.
In contrast, Harris’s rise was propelled by the hollow rituals of modern feminism. Her DEI-driven ascent lacked the grit and authenticity of earlier trailblazers. Her campaign failures, incoherent interviews, and lack of vision underscored her unfitness for the presidency. Worse, her inability to challenge Joe Biden’s obvious decline further revealed her lack of conviction.
Harris’s failure is not just personal—it reflects a broader problem within feminism. The movement’s obsession with optics over substance has left women unprepared for leadership. If feminism is to remain relevant, it must rediscover its roots in merit, resilience, and character-building, not superficial empowerment.
This post originally appeared at https://www.phyllisschlafly.com/family/feminism/feminism-needs-to-take-inventory/