As a woman of color & immigrant in higher education & career services - I have some pressing thoughts. Here goes:

A daughter of immigrants as Vice President. The first woman Vice President. The first Black woman Vice President. The first South Asian woman Vice President. 1/X

Of course, we must acknowledge that no candidate is perfect – President-Elect Biden is not perfect. Vice President-Elect Harris is not perfect. There is much work to be done to continue to move forward towards a more progressive and truly inclusive America. 2/X
We cannot back to a version of “normal” that actively excludes certain individuals based on their race, country of origin, immigration status, size, ability, experience with addiction, religion, sexual orientation, gender expression, and more. 3/X
However, it is critical that we, as members of the workforce, take note of a specific aspect of this election that cannot be ignored: the power of sponsorship. 4/X
I long for the day when women of color need not wait for a door of opportunity to open. However, our reality is that sponsorship is currently a critical element of workplace success – and I say this as a woman of color myself. 5/X
According to McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace 2020 report, “For every 100 men promoted to manager, only 85 women were promoted—and this gap was even larger for some women: only 58 Black women and 71 Latinas were promoted.” 6/X
As a White-presenting Latina, I exist with deep privilege in this space. I claim my existence as a Latina and an immigrant, and have become more vocal in naming the systems of oppression that exist within my field: career development in higher education. 7/X
I have been told, by professionals in my field, that I am “too loud,” “interested in causing problems and not affecting change,” and if I keep speaking up, I will sacrifice leadership in the field. 8/X
We could certainly unpack that, as a Latina and an immigrant, being quiet is safer and often necessary – both professionally and otherwise. 9/X
Vice President-Elect Harris was called a “rival” of President-Elect Biden’s throughout the primary season. She challenged him – including his record on progress racial issues and healthcare, and after the 2019 debates, was seen as one of his fiercest opponents. 10/X
To my fellow career services professionals: If we are to truly celebrate Kamala Harris’ remarkable Vice Presidential victory, we cannot do so without understanding our own role in sponsorship – including sponsoring the women of color who challenge and speak up. 11/X
If I serve on your board, join your committee, or become your ally, I will be speaking up. My hope is that you will still amplify my voice - and the voices of so many women of color who speak up as well. 12/12

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THREAD

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@SidneyPowell1 reflects on #Iran’s meddling in the U.S. in a recent tweet to U.S. President Donald Trump.

This thread focuses on Iran’s dangerous influence in the U.S., especially through its DC-based lobby group


2)
Why is this important?

@DNI_Ratcliffe "told CBS News that there was foreign election interference by China, #Iran & Russia in November of this year [2020]."

All Americans should be informed about how Iran & its lobby group NIAC are meddling in the


3)
#Iran has been increasingly aiming to interfere in U.S. elections specifically through NIAC.

DNI John Ratcliffe had previously shed light on this vital


4)
NIAC is a lobby group in the U.S. pushing Iran’s talking points.

Listen to this Iranian regime insider explain that NIAC was established by @JZarif, the foreign minister of


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@tparsi is the official founder of NIAC in the U.S.

Listen to how Trita Parsi parrots Zarif’s talking
All the challenges to Leader Pelosi are coming from her right, in an apparent effort to make the party even more conservative and bent toward corporate interests.

Hard pass. So long as Leader Pelosi remains the most progressive candidate for Speaker, she can count on my support.


I agree that our party should, and must, evolve our leadership.

But changed leadership should reflect an actual, evolved mission; namely, an increased commitment to the middle + working class electorate that put us here.

Otherwise it’s a just new figure with the same problems.

I hope that we can move swiftly to conclude this discussion about party positions, so that we can spend more time discussing party priorities: voting rights, healthcare, wages, climate change, housing, cannabis legalization, good jobs, etc.
This idea - that elections should translate into policy - is not wrong at all. But political science can help explain why it's not working this way. There are three main explanations: 1. mandates are constructed, not automatic, 2. party asymmetry, 3. partisan conpetition 1/


First, party/policy mandates from elections are far from self-executing in our system. Work on mandates from Dahl to Ellis and Kirk on the history of the mandate to mine on its role in post-Nixon politics, to Peterson Grossback and Stimson all emphasize that this link is... 2/

Created deliberately and isn't always persuasive. Others have to convinced that the election meant a particular thing for it to work in a legislative context. I theorized in the immediate period of after the 2020 election that this was part of why Repubs signed on to ...3/

Trump's demonstrably false fraud nonsense - it derailed an emerging mandate news cycle. Winners of elections get what they get - institutional control - but can't expect much beyond that unless the perception of an election mandate takes hold. And it didn't. 4/

Let's turn to the legislation element of this. There's just an asymmetry in terms of passing a relief bill. Republicans are presumably less motivated to get some kind of deal passed. Democrats are more likely to want to do *something.* 5/

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