The dust has barely settled on the latest election, and already, the Democrats are pointing fingers, placing blame, and, quite frankly, eating each other alive. With Kamala Harris’ embarrassing defeat to Donald Trump, the old party of “unity” has descended into a battlefield of infighting and “if only” scenarios, and it’s quite the spectacle.
Kamala’s Running Mate Disaster: The “Tim Walz Problem”
The decision to pick Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as Harris’ running mate is getting more flak than a B-17 Flying Fortress during a WW2 Bombing run. Why? According to key Democratic operatives, Walz was just too “folksy,” too tied to the 2020 riots in Kenosha, and way too left-leaning for mainstream America. Party insiders are arguing that Harris should have gone with Josh Shapiro, the “charismatic” Pennsylvania governor. But hey, why pick someone who might appeal to working-class voters when you can go with a guy who, to many Americans, represents everything that’s gone wrong with the “woke” leadership of the Left?
Democratic strategist Lindy Li put it plainly, wondering aloud what might have been if Harris had paired up with Shapiro. And apparently, she’s not alone. Many on the inside thought Shapiro would have softened Harris’ image—moving her away from that classic “San Francisco liberal” label Trump branded her with. But Harris picked someone even further to the left. Maybe next time, they’ll realize that the middle ground isn’t so scary after all.
Harris’ Failure to Stake Out Her Own Positions
Beyond the VP pick, Harris’ critics within her own party are grumbling about her inability to stake out clear policy positions and put some distance between herself and the outgoing Biden administration. In an eye-rolling moment on The View, Harris was asked what she’d have done differently from Biden over the last four years. Her response? A bold, inspiring, “There is not a thing that comes to mind.” In other words, she couldn’t name a single policy where she’d have taken a stand of her own. Talk about reassuring leadership…
This lack of distinction might have seemed like loyalty, but it didn’t help when Biden’s approval ratings tanked. Standing by his every move ended up looking more like political quicksand than a solid platform. If Harris thought it would give her a free pass with voters, she was sorely mistaken. Democrats are now saying that her refusal to step out of Biden’s shadow only hurt her more.
The Demographic Fallout: The Great Divide
Meanwhile, the Democratic coalition—famously known for covering every base—is splintering. White women didn’t show up in the numbers the party needed, and Black men switched to Trump in higher numbers than anticipated. MSNBC’s Joy Reid bluntly pointed fingers at white women voters in North Carolina, accusing them of abandoning Harris. Yet, curiously, Reid had less to say about the trend among Black men moving to Trump, which exit polls show rose by about 5%. Hispanic voters shifted even more significantly, with Trump gaining 45% support in this election.
It seems this “big tent” is starting to develop some noticeable leaks, and Democratic leaders are now scrambling to figure out where they went wrong. Funny how that happens when you stop listening to the concerns of real working Americans and start prioritizing Twitter trends over kitchen-table issues.
Biden’s Delay Didn’t Help Either
As if Harris didn’t have enough hurdles, another piece of criticism flying around is aimed squarely at Joe Biden. Many are saying that Biden’s decision to stay in the race for so long—despite his faltering support and rough debate performance—was a mistake. NBC’s Kristen Welker noted during election night that Biden should have bowed out much earlier, giving Harris a better chance to establish herself or letting the Democrats open up the field to new blood. Biden staying in only to bow out late in the game? Not exactly the passing of the torch Harris likely envisioned.
CNN’s Van Jones, once a key Obama adviser, chimed in with a critique of Harris’ campaign strategy, zeroing in on the campaign’s flashy, celebrity-filled rallies. According to Jones, working-class voters simply don’t have the time (or money) for star-studded events. “People have to choose between paying for babysitters to attend these big concerts or actually getting to the polls,” Jones observed. Turns out, glamor doesn’t win over voters struggling with everyday expenses.
The Lessons of the Harris-Walz Ticket
So what’s the moral of this story? The Democrats banked on an image-driven campaign without substantial policy distinctions. They assumed they could win by pointing fingers at Trump rather than laying out a bold vision. And now, the blame game has started. They’re left wondering if maybe, just maybe, they should have focused on the issues that matter to middle-class Americans, rather than pushing ideological experiments that left voters feeling disconnected.
In the end, the Democrats got caught in their own echo chamber, and it’s now glaringly obvious that their coalition is far from united. The Left may talk a lot about unity and progress, but when it comes down to it, their biggest obstacle might just be their inability to figure out what their own voters want. As they say, the first step is admitting you have a problem. But from the looks of it, the Democrats are a long way from political rehab.
WE’D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS! PLEASE COMMENT BELOW.
JIMMY
Find more articles like this at steadfastandloyal.com.
h/t: Steadfast and Loyal
Thought they could pull a do nothing Senator and VP with 27% approval rating into into Oval Office