As I said earlier, I do not blame Kamala Harris whatsoever. She ran a brilliant campaign, she raised in excess of a billion dollars on short notice, she coalesced Biden Democrats, Obama Democrats, Clinton Democrats and created a disciplined message of hope, unity and liberal American ideals. She was a great, bridge-building candidate. The electorate wasn’t there. The voters were not there. The American people decided they wanted the orange fascist instead. Given everything that’s happened, it’s also sort of insane political analysis to go from “this is Kamala’s fault” to “this is Joe Biden’s fault!” But that’s where people are headed. I’m already seeing too many pieces like this one, a USA Today op-ed:
Donald Trump, despite who he is, has won the 2024 presidential election and will retake the White House for a second term. Republicans made every mistake they could along the way in nominating Trump again, but Democrats threw them a lifeline in mismanaging Joe Biden’s exit from the race and making Kamala Harris campaign from behind most of the way. Instead of persuading Americans to vote for Harris, they spent their efforts persuading them to vote against Trump, and that was not enough for Americans.
In the end, Biden took the presidency from Trump and gave it right back to him. Trump required a special level of incompetence from the Democrats to win, and boy, did he get exactly that.
Democrats did their best in their pivot from Biden, but it was too little too late. In their 2020 quest to beat Trump at all costs, they boxed themselves into a corner by propping up a mentally unfit octogenarian purely for the sake of winning that election, then didn’t realize it was time to change candidates early if they wanted to win this one.
Biden had every opportunity to take the dignified way out and not seek reelection. In the face of poll numbers stacked against him and extremely apparent mental decline, any reasonable person could have seen the odds were too far stacked against them. Instead, Biden’s ego got in the way and put Democrats in the awful situation of a last-minute switch to Harris.
It’s bizarre to me that the argument is “Biden never should have sought reelection” as opposed to “Biden is the only one who has ever beaten Trump and maybe Democrats were wrong to publicly push him out, and the nationally televised interparty fight was what made Democrats look like a bunch of childish, bedwetting idiots.” Once Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris, look what she did with it, look at the outstanding campaign she ran. I was grateful that VP Harris (and not Biden) was the one making an energetic Democratic case to the nation. But I also think that people in the Rust Belt really did love Biden, and even more than that, people love a man at the top of the ticket. If anything, these election results have vindicated both Biden and Hillary Clinton. It feels even more remarkable that Biden pulled it out in 2020, and it feels like Hillary fundamentally lost because she’s a woman, and the American electorate does not want a woman president.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- United States President Joe Biden delivers remarks on how his Investing in America agenda is rebuilding American infrastructure and creating good paying union jobs at the Port of Baltimore in Baltimore, Maryland on Tuesday, October 29, 2024. Copyright: xRonxSachsx/,Image: 928231877, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Ron Sachs / CNP /MediaPunch / Avalon
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- President Joe Biden made some remarks at a Get out the Vote event in Philadelphia on 111/012024. At the SprinklerŐs Local 692 Buildings in Philadelphia .,Image: 929301190, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: William T. Wade Jr./Photography / Avalon
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- United States President Joe Biden speaks to a group of reporters as US Vice President Kamala Harris looks on after greeting reporters Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva and Paul Whelan following their release as part of a 24-person prisoner swap between Russia and the United States, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland Featuring: Joe Biden, Kamala Harris Where: Camp Springs, Maryland, United States When: 01 Aug 2024 Credit: POOL via CNP/INSTARimages.com
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- United States Vice President Kamala Harris embraces United States President Joe Biden at an event at Prince George’s County Community College in Largo, Maryland on Thursday, August 15, 2024. The event was centered around “lowering drug costs for the American people” and was their first joint appearance since President Biden dropped out of the presidential race, and endorsed Harris. Featuring: President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris Where: Largo, Maryland, United States When: 15 Aug 2024 Credit: CNP/INSTARimages
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- United States President Joe Biden speaks at an event with United States Vice President Kamala Harris at Prince George’s County Community College in Largo, Maryland on Thursday, August 15, 2024. The event was centered around “lowering drug costs for the American people” and was their first joint appearance since President Biden dropped out of the presidential race, and endorsed Harris. Featuring: President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris Where: Largo, Maryland, United States When: 15 Aug 2024 Credit: CNP/INSTARimages
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- US President Joe Biden with Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris during the day one of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago Featuring: Joe Biden, Kamala Harris Where: Chicago, Illinois, United States When: 20 Aug 2024 Credit: Abaca Press/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- US President Joe Biden with Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris during the day one of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago Featuring: Joe Biden, Kamala Harris Where: Chicago, Illinois, United States When: 20 Aug 2024 Credit: Abaca Press/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- United States President Joe Biden is seen in the Oval Office, as he meets with Robert Golob, Prime Minister of Slovenia in the White House Featuring: Joe Biden Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 22 Oct 2024 Credit: POOL via CNP/INSTARimages.com
I wish they’d have let Biden campaign in Scranton. I really wonder if he’d been out in PA, whether the results would’ve been different.
There are millions fewer votes, this time, than in 2020. It’s as if the electorate has shrunk. Remember Trump’s “secret”? This must be it.
#DoNotConcedeKamala
Wait, so is this piece saying Harris would have had a better chance if she had been the candidate all along? Or is it saying we should have put another white man at the top of the ticket? (I’m pretty sure its the latter.)
Look, Dems just underestimated the appeal of hatred. Trump gave people groups to hate – immigrants, liberals, “woke” people, etc. That’s really hard to beat.
Exactly @Becks1! I’m so sad to say that my own brother was taken in by the lies and mischaracterizations against Harris. Plus, my brother and his wife have some really naive and hateful religious beliefs. I love my brother, but I don’t know right now if I can ever speak to him again. 😢
You said it. Trump is a populist and fed into the fears, hatred, racism and ignorance of people. He alone can save them from the ‘evils’ of respect, equality, tolerance, acceptance, of those awful elites. And while he’s at it, he’ll appoint another nutjob to do away with vaccines. His voters should be careful what they wished for.
I can’t listen to pundits criticizing the Harris campaign, it was flawless. This is all insane.
No Democratic- not Biden, not Newsome ..no one, could have beaten him. Trump’s currency is fear, hate, intolerance and ignorance
I can only imagine the next months and years as we try to pin blame and figure out fault.
To me it is rather simple.
71 million Americans voted for him.
And another approx. 30 million registered voters opted not to vote at all.
He told us who he is. They made this choice anyways. And we all suffer the consequences.
Aussie here. When there’s an election, every adult is required by law to vote. Even the elderly in aged care homes. I think prisoners are the only ones who get a pass. There’s a hefty fine for anyone who doesn’t vote in federal, state and local elections.
At least this way you get the candidate who is what most people can live with.
I often wonder if the USA would be better or worse if we had mandatory voting like Australia. But it will always be a hypothetical scenario because free speech is interpreted to include the freedom not to speak, and voting is speech. It’s an interesting topic to consider though!
That’s the unthinkable becoming reality. The smugness over cruelty that will occur. Our neighbors and coworkers and family want deportation, an end to gay/women’s rights.
They embraced fascism.
What the hell do we do with that?
My thoughts exactly, Julie.
I feel the same…looking at my neighbors very differently today.
Our registration system is a little wonky because you can actually have old registrations from previous address still on the books even if you can’t vote there. It would be interesting to know how many actually-registered-at-current-address voters chose not to vote. And the who what why where of that (non)decision.
He should have never been pushed out. Never.
I still think Biden could have beat trump. Kamala lost white men, latino men. The number of white women who voted for trump is 2016 is the same as it was yesterday. They would have come out for Biden again.
I’m reading the Guardian detailed analyses and they agree with you. Harris unfortunately underperformed significantly in areas that Biden carried well. Also, the optics of him being commented on like he was and treated like he was would have put off some from voting for them.
You’re right. It all comes down to one thing. This country is not ready for a woman president . A Nazi is okay, but not a woman.
It really comes down to that, I think. It’s horrible.
Also, the country is racist and sexist. This is America.
Exactly @Carol Mengel and spot-on @LexLuthorBlack. 😕 This insane country is especially not ready for a South Asian African American (Jamaican) woman. That liability was always the elephant in the room, which the thoughtful patriots and responsible Democrats among us all hoped would go away if we ignored that it was still heavily present. We hopefully desired to forefront and to chiefly focus on all the sane, forward-thinking enthusiasm Kamala Harris’ campaign inspired.
Okay I came here to mourn. I’m truly sad. I had hoped that the American people were better than they were. I think willful ignorance helped as well. Let’s be real here. Trump will be working on delivering national secrets to Russia, China, and the Saudi’s. Ukraine is toast. As is Taiwan. Yesterday proves that women remain second class citizens. But I’m alive. My parents are alive. And just for today I have a job and people who love me. Today I breathe. Tomorrow I start to fight. Once again.
Correct. As an Australian I felt very invested in this election, not just because of my loathing of Trump, but because this outcome will be felt all around the world. Poor Ukraine. Poor Palestinians. Trump will be falling over himself to cosy up to Putin and Netenyathu. What is to become of the world? The poor of the USA won’t be any better off, that’s for sure. It will embolden every RWNJ here too.
The thing I can’t wrap my head around is why the poor vote for the parties who want to reduce/eliminate taxes for billionaires, while they can’t afford health insurance or to heat their houses? Exactly how to they think they’ll be better off?
How do we fight @Nicole? I’m too old, sick, and exhausted. I do not see an avenue of hope forward at this moment. All those who delivered the WH to Trump again deserve to suffer. The sad thing is how innocents will suffer, too. I cannot even stand to see Democrats turning everything over to the orange blob and his cretins again on Inauguration Day. 😱💀 How can anyone stand for this? Our country has been redelivered to an insane criminal who encouraged people to overthrow the U.S. Capitol! Redelivered to a senile orange blob bully who desires to be a dictator.
It wasn’t willful ignorance. He hated the same people they hate. That’s who voted for him.
People are going to tie themselves and knots for the next few months, trying to explain how a different decision last month, last year, 2 years ago would have greatly changed the outcome. Next will be let’s throw all these groups that have supported us in the 80/90% range for decades under the bus to get the vote share from those fickle people in the middle. I honestly don’t even really believe given the numbers that are coming back that Joe Biden would have won. People really seem to be focused on don’t like those immigrants, don’t like those trans people, prices have changed and that’s your fault. And that the standard bearer for all that was a black woman, well. It’s not more complicated than that but people just don’t want to accept that. I’ve been saying that for months here when people would find every single way to defend their maga relatives, people don’t want to see what’s in front of them because it’s too painful for them to accept.
Sadly, I agree @Dee(2). Everything you have said is stark truth.
Dee(2) you said a whole word. Nothing but facts. And don’t get me started on the folks even here who insisted on defending their MAGA relatives and friends. I am tired. I am freaking tired.
Exactly
Let’s not forget the media’s sanewashing of Trump and failure to push back on his claims. It’s ridiculous how much he was allowed to lie with impunity.
This is it, the sanewashing — and the cowardice by huge parts of the media, failing to call out a rapist, felon, traitor, racist, misogynist.
For me, on the outside looking in, it’s still not real. The campaign was nearly perfect, it was elating, it was positive, joyful, *real*.
I was in tears last night, and shocked, and I wasn’t the only one in the room to feel that way either.
This!
Each time Harris was interviewed, it was more about the Orange Menace than her or what the Biden/Harris admin had done. Always driving the narrative. Disgusting.
I tried to cry, but no tears appeared.
God Bless America
Rapunzel, I am 100% with you on the sanewashing bit. Harris and Trump were not graded on the same curve and the regular news should take a big chunk of the blame on what kind of image we had of both of them.
Agree 100%. I said in another post that I am not participating in the Trump media machine this time around. I’m not listening to the pundits, I’m not watching the talk shows, I’m not buying the “tell all” books. That machine played a HUGE part in why we’re here today and I’m not feeding into it anymore.
Yep…and those idiots are screwed when not if he goes after them.
Canadian here. I’m angry. Really, really angry. I remember when Harris became the nominee and suddenly there was hope.
He’s been going on about cheating and how the results would be rigged. With all the stories about MAGA election officials- I can believe it now.
I’m in shock. Disbelief.
We have a weasel candidate up here in Canada trying to get elected and I think you guys just made it easier.
I’m really, really angry at everyone who elected him. SMH
Hopefully, we Canadians don’t let the same thing happen here in a snap election. Pierre Poilievre would only pull us backward.
Me too. Really angry and disappointed.
And worried. I’ve already seen Trudeau tagged as “Kamala Trudeau”. So the PP Cons(ervatives) are showing that yes, they see PP as the Canadian trump, and they’re more than okay with that.
JT is blatantly incompetent and so is his cabinet. Harris is about ten levels above any and all of them in education, real life experience, expertise, diplomatic skills etc etc. I’ll never vote JT ever again. He’s a younger trump.
I’m scared!! I don’t know what else to say but I believe that when he told us he didn’t need our votes that something was done for him to win. I’m praying that the fraud and secrets that he has brought to this election will be revealed quickly. Joe should not leave he has immunity. Hand recounts should be done. This election was called very quickly and that tells me that something is very wrong. She should not concede! He still hasn’t conceded to losing 2020. We see that there were bomb threats in democratic areas only and that the Russian were to blame. We have to fight to the bitter end for our democracy.
I’m not giving up until every vote is counted and every challenge is complete. ✊
This country was not ready for a woman President let alone a black woman President. Harris did not have a white mother and was not raised by midwestern white grandparents to make her “acceptable” to most.
This was about misogyny/misogynoir. I will not embed the link but please Google Mt Pleasant PA Halloween parade. This will tell you exactly what kind of mindset and rotted spirit over half of this country has. Please keep in mind that all parties thought this was a good idea. This town is 30 minutes away from me.
Respectfully, When Kamala Harris entered the race, it infused many of the people I love and care for with energy and purpose. Biden did not motivate many of them to the same extent. Harris , not Biden, had every expat in my group voting. A few first-time voters signed up to vote for her after seeing Biden’s debate. I was able to convince a few family members of the never Trump persuasion to vote for her as well, and a couple of those voted straight blue (!) down the ticket. Granted, due to my loved ones I thought this election would pan out differently, but people around me who weten’t enthusiastic about Biden did become so with Harris. I’ve seem some people saying that less people voted, but my personal experience is that she did attract more voters and at least Democratic participation should have been quite high.
I just saw a graphic that showed that Trump got FEWER votes this time around than last time – last time he got 74 million, this time he got 71 million. Harris went from 81 million with Biden in 2020 to 66 million.
So that’s a significant drop for Harris, less so for Trump, but overall it looks like close to 20 million who voted in 2020 may not have voted this time around (or voted third party but I would find it hard to believe that 20 million voted third party.)
I thought we had the votes but apparently the GOTV efforts were not enough.
Whoa, that is a huge drop in voters. I admit to having difficulty wraping my brain around that figure, and I will be very interested to know what caused Democrats to stay home. Given my IRL situation, it was the opposite: people around me were energized and voted.
I just returned from s family emergency in GA with my kids. Fulton (strong Harris support!) and Cobb (getting bluer) counties looked pretty good, but closer to Alabama it was all Trump. People were telling me that the North was all Trump, too, but that’s not unexpected. Unfortunately. I thought, given what I’d seen juxtaposed with when my relatives first moved to Georgia, that it would have been closer.
Perhaps unfair, but I am suspicious that the Democratic vote was that anemic.
America is full of misogynists and racists. The worst candidate ever won against a qualified intelligent woman (again). 248 yrs of being a country and millions of Americans still don’t see women as equal citizens. Is it any wonder women are ANGRY?!?
I blame Americans right now. Americans have disgusted me. Americans have let me down, let my granddaughter down, let my friends and family down. Shame.
I blame the corporate media for the sanewashing- every 24 hour network and legacy media we have are owned by oligarchs with a vested interest in GOP tax cuts. And Moscow Mitch for the acquittal, which allowed him to run again. Dude should be in prison but instead he’s in the white house again. We are not a serious country.
And this may be a hot take on this site, but democrats shoot themselves in the foot every time by trying to appeal to the right wing moderate who will vote across the aisle. No such beast exists. From what I see, they scorned left wing economic populism for their neoliberal bullshit that has benefitted Wall Street and no one else, and thought social issues could carry them through, so the right wing pounced on the discontent that leads to a desire for populism, and now we have fascism instead of a democratic socialism.
Plums—I entirely agree with you. I’ll admit that, since 2016, I’ve tried to understand and find empathy for the MAGA types. Not so anymore. It’s clear that empathy only runs one way in this country. Politics have changed fundamentally, and I think, sadly, the notion of reaching across the aisle and seeking common ground is defunct.
I think that winning back power requires a whole different mindset now, and it’s not so different from the one that has taken over the GOP (which we also need to stop thinking of as the pre-2016 coalition). We need to be ruthless and single minded. That’s not to say jettisoning our morals and values, or the integrity of our democracy (what remains of it), but we cannot expect help to come from across the aisle, if we just say or do the right things to reach them. There is no reaching them. I don’t know what that means in terms of coalition-building for the Dems. Right now I’m channeling this pure incandescent anger because I think we are in for a bitter struggle.
The empathy definitely only goes one way. When Dems win, we’re supposed to reach across the aisle and make sure Rs have a seat at the table. When Rs win, its a “mandate” and they think they can do whatever they want, and nowhere is there a discussion about Rs reaching across the aisle or anything.
When Rs win, Dems are supposed to think about “how to reach those Trump voters” but when dems win, they are still supposed to think about that.
Its enraging.
As angry as people are, we don’t have to be victims. When you go into these stores looking at latest iPod, phones, electronic gazetry, just picture Emusk or T rump’s pics on them and leave them on the shelf. If you have an automobile that’s operable, stay off the car lots. The B Friday thing is coming up, put your money in child’s savings acct. or any money acct. If majority have to suffer, spread the hurt around.
Buy second hand.
Yes, that would work also. Money is the only language they understand.
Wow. Did I underestimate America or what?
Pivot now will be to Tax Act for 2025. Billionaires were promised tax cuts. My taxes and most likely your taxes will be going up.
Honestly – refusing to acknowledge the Biden critique and any blame of Kamala is short sighted.
I am so vehemently against Trump and the MAGA cronies but they have beaten what is so clearly rational thinking twice now. The Democrat playbook is fundamentally not working, and therefore it was not a perfect campaign. If it was we would not be having this conversation. There are two sides to this election and one side is coming out victorious. The other side needs to examine their part in this because we will simply fall foul to the same result again and again unless some accountability is taken. Every person in that campaign played a part in this result.
Well said, Jessa!
Perhaps someone can explain this to me because I am honestly confused. I know that so many new voters signed up, and most of them leaned Democratic. So how is it that she didn’t get more votes? I get this is a simplistic question, but I just don’t understand where everone went! Where were the voters?
Yeah, I’m not at all convinced this was a clean election, but I’m trying not to be conspiracy minded.
IRL, several of my coworkers have repeatedly saying that Biden was forced out, KH moved in. No one chose her as the Nominee. Blah, blah.
Lifelong Dems voting Red.
Signs up “None of the current candidates are qualified” had been seen locally.
Joe Biden spent his entire adult career working for Democracy.
Thanks, Joe.
No, @USA Today, Donald Trump did not win “despite who he is”, Donald Trump won BECAUSE of who he is. People voted their values. And those values won.
JMO, the Dems are in real trouble.
If they start blaming inside their own party for this loss, GOP will jump on every crack and work to open the divide even farther.
Trump and his supporters are going to grab as much power as possible.
The more chaos they can create the better for them.
I wonder what Joe can say in his personal address?
I will be watching.
This big of a loss and losing the Senate sits squarely on the Democratic strategy leaders shoulders.
The entire D party is going to have to rebuild ASAP.
And run blistering campaigns with dynamic strong party leaders.
Younger, great public speakers with media training, clear plan of action on major issues and do not let it become a cult of personality like the Trump followers.
I notice the current DNC leader has come out and said he will not rep again.
KH, TW, both Clintons, even Obama are now done on a national level. Even Obama, that is heartbreaking to me. Obama was so solid on the world stage, he repped US very well.
KH and TW just barely took Minnesota. Minnesota. We’ve been Blue all my life.