The double standard began before Jackson's nomination. As two opinion writers have pointed out, just a year ago, during Jackson's confirmation hearing for her appellate court appointment, GOP Senator John Cornyn of Texas asked her a question no white man would have been asked. He asked Jackson what role race might play in her rulings. Last I checked, while race has no biological or anthropological meaning, in a society built on it we all have one. Therefore, Jackson is not the only nominee who has a race. If every nominee was asked if their race would play a role in their decisions, then it would not be a double standard. Cornyn voted against Jackson last year despite her providing the answer he no doubt wanted to hear. Race plays no role in her decisions.

Jackson was attacked before we even knew she was the nominee, as all possible Black women nominees were. In a racially polarized society where Black history and novels are under attack, it is not surprising that the president's promise to nominate a Black woman was, too. But it was also a double standard. President Biden's press secretary, Jen Psaki, piercingly pointed to it. No one attacked former Presidents Ronald Reagan or Donald Trump for pledges to appoint a woman. That point alone, along with Cornyn's question, shows that Jackson is already being treated differently.