Letters to the Editor: A speaking coach’s take on Kamala Harris: She is empathetic and strong

To the editor: Cydney Hurston Dupree shares her impressive research on women leaders’ speaking style to show how Vice President Kamala Harris’ amiable rhetoric is an asset.

There is no doubt that women have a more difficult time gaining credibility as the “voice of authority.” The double standard leads to audiences being more critical of women speakers. Knowing it is risky to challenge the establishment and the status quo, women speakers need to prepare by getting critical feedback.

But who should do this coaching?

Attorneys and crisis communication specialists helped the three college presidents who addressed Congress regarding antisemitism on their campuses, and we saw how poorly they did. The presidents declined to say that calls for the genocide of Jews violated their universities’ codes of conduct, speaking in generalities rather than showing empathy.

We can take a lesson from that debacle. Successful women leaders know how to straddle both shores, being empathetic as well as answering questions with intelligence and concrete knowledge of the issue.

As a public speaking coach, I am glad to see Harris bring warmth to her campaign while also speaking about the complex array of issues she would face if elected.

Lois Phillips, Santa Barbara

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To the editor: I appreciate Dupree’s article celebrating Harris’ speaking style, which former President Trump and his followers love to mock.

Insane cackle? Actually, listening to her words, one understands that Harris is intelligent, articulate and powerful. She does her homework and comes prepared. She prosecutes the case effectively.

And yes, she loves to laugh. She is a cheerful, happy person who manages to find joy in public service.

Trump and his Republican followers, on the other hand, are angry. Trump rarely smiles or laughs. For all the wealth and power he inherited, there is not the slightest shred of joy or happiness in his life.

They ridicule Harris because they can’t begin to understand someone who manages to come across as both intelligent and joyful.

Douglas Dunn, Escondido