Douglas Emhoff embraces role as the first second gentleman during New Orleans visit

Douglas Emhoff has a fancy title by virtue of being married to the first female vice president, Kamala Harris.

He is the country’s first Second Gentleman.

But the fidgety 4- and 5-year olds who were awaiting his visit Wednesday at the YMCA in Belle Chasse to eat lunch – what should they call him?

“My name is Doug,” Emhoff, 56, announced as he approached the children sitting around a table.

Emhoff made a bit of history for New Orleans by making the first visit by a male vice presidential spouse.

Less than a year ago, Emhoff relinquished his job as a Los Angeles corporate attorney to be part of the Biden-Harris campaign, and now he works nearly full-time as the vice president’s spouse.

Emhoff showed he’s game for his new role during visits to the YMCA in Belle Chasse and the Broadmoor Community Church in New Orleans, as he played with the children at the YMCA in Belle Chasse and handed out food baskets at the Broadmoor Community Church that had been provided through a partnership involving the Broadmoor Improvement Association, the United States Department of Agriculture and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana.

Emhoff said Louisiana was the 23rd state he has visited since assuming his new role.

Emhoff began at the YMCA by handing out lunch trays to the children, who were attending a summer camp that includes a free meal. He sat down and peeled a banana for a boy who didn’t know how to do so.

Minutes later, in an adjoining room, Emhoff took a spell tossing a plastic ball to free-swinging kids who hit line drive after line drive.

“They lit me up,” he said with a laugh later. “I need to work on my pitching.”

To be sure, the topics for Emhoff on Wednesday were serious. Both stops aimed to publicize the need to make sure everyone gets enough to eat during tough economic times caused by the COVID pandemic. The church stop also included a visit to a mobile Ochsner Health unit that highlighted the need to improve Louisiana’s dismal vaccination rates.

Coronavirus cases are rising again as the Delta variant spreads, with Louisiana among the five states with the biggest jump over the past two weeks. Overall, Louisiana has the second-lowest vaccination rate in the country.

“Bottom line, cases and deaths and sickness are up where vaccinations are low,” Emhoff told reporters at the church. “Where vaccinations are high, you’re seeing no deaths, low cases because these vaccinations work. They’re safe, they’re free, they’re effective. They’re very available.”

People willing to get vaccinated at Ochsner’s mobile unit were scarce, though.

A church worker, Gustavo Posadas, sat under an Ochsner tent and admitted to Emhoff that he has been too nervous to receive the vaccine.

A nurse prepared to give him the injection.

“You’re going to tell a bunch of people afterward, everyone you know,” Emhoff told Posadas, a 44-year-old immigrant from Mexico. “This is real. The only thing that will prevent you from dying is getting this.”

As the nurse prepared to put the needle in his arm, Emhoff tried to ease Posadas’ anxiety by distracting him.

“Look at me!” Emhoff said. “Look at me!”

Posadas received the injection without incident.

“It’s over,” Emhoff said, and onlookers applauded.

Joel Goldstein, a retired professor at Saint Louis University School of Law and an expert on the vice presidency, said Emhoff is breaking the mold for more than just his gender.

Goldstein noted that previous vice presidential spouses going back to Joan Mondale -- her husband Walter became the first substantive vice president thanks to President Jimmy Carter – have focused on pet issues, such as Tipper Gore on mental issues and Jill Biden on community college education.

“What’s somewhat distinctive about Emhoff is he’s participating in a public role in one of the priorities of the Biden administration, encouraging people to get vaccinated,” Goldstein said.

Goldstein pointed out a political benefit from Emhoff’s high profile, noting that the Second Gentleman has also recently visited Tennessee and Alabama.

“Many of the trips are to red states,” Goldstein said. “It’s consistent with the message that the president has articulated that he won’t just be president of the blue states. He’s the president of everyone.”

Asked about his historic role, Emhoff acknowledged Jason Cantrell, New Orleans' First Gentleman standing alongside of him, and said, “Strong men need to support strong women….We need more women in leadership and politics. And we need more women in leadership in business, too. Bottom line, this country will be much better off because of it.”

Cantrell, married to Mayor LaToya Cantrell, was asked several minutes later about his unique role as the First Gentleman of New Orleans.

An aide suggested a canned response before Cantrell jumped in and said, “It’s fun to be the husband!”