Former President Donald Trump made history on Nov. 5 when he became the second president in American history to win two non-consecutive terms in the Oval Office. With a late entry and a sloppy campaign, it is no wonder that Vice President Kamala Harris lost. Her loss is the result of the Democrats no longer being the party of the people, and their mistakes throughout this campaign and in past years cost them a highly contested election.
Biden’s late exit
Following a catastrophic debate that saw 81-year-old President Joe Biden stumble over his words and be outpaced by his predecessor, Biden was pressured by members of his own party and even the mainstream media to drop out. Sure enough, he did so on July 21 and endorsed Vice President Harris to be the party’s nominee.
This short time frame to campaign was a major disadvantage for Harris. It gave Harris little time to separate herself from Biden and his policies or build a proper campaign. She could not escape the shortcomings of the Biden administration, taking the blame for high illegal immigration numbers and skyrocketing grocery prices.
Harris failed to resonate with the average voter
Harris’s platform was also not as strong as many thought. Her most consistently powerful arguments against Trump revolved around wedge issues, such as abortion and candidate personality, according to Pew Research.
This strategy was doomed to fail, since voters had issues like the economy and illegal immigration at the top of their minds, and Trump had the edge on these issues.
The Democratic Party also made their campaign very negative and partisan. Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, along with other surrogates, called Trump and Republicans racist and Nazis.
Harris called Trump a “fascist” several times throughout the campaign, including at a CNN town hall hosted by Anderson Cooper. Meanwhile, the mainstream media and Walz compared Trump’s Oct. 28 rally at Madison Square Garden to a Nazi Rally that took place in Feb. of 1939.
Trump also did engage in partisan rhetoric, but this isn’t uncommon for him. What was uncommon was his effort to build a coalition of supporters and a team from across party lines, such as former Democratic politicians like Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Similarly, Harris also brought in politicians from across party lines, including former Representative Liz Cheney and Former Governor of California Arnold Schwarnegger.
The Democrats simultaneously abandoned the core bases of their voting bloc: Hispanics, African Americans and white, working-class people. Independent senator Bernie Sanders noted this in the days following Harris’ defeat.
“It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party, which has abandoned working-class people, would find that the working class has abandoned them,” Sanders said.
Sam Zacher from the Cambridge University Press found the Build Back Better bill, passed by the Biden Administration, gave tax cuts to the rich. These tax cuts can be seen as hypocritical, considering the Democratic party’s often attacks on America’s wealthy on the campaign trail.
Trump and Republicans make gains nationwide
Trump and the Republican party also made major gains nationwide, including in traditionally deep blue states. Trump previously lost California and New York by significant margins, but this time, he made up good ground. He lost California by 18 points and New York by 11 when he previously lost these states by double those margins.
Trump also managed to flip Miami-Dade county, winning it by roughly 12 points. It was the first time a Republican had won the county since George H.W. Bush did in 1988.
Trump also won the popular vote for the first time in his three bids for the White House.
What’s next for the Democratic Party?
With a resounding loss to lament over, Democrats must re-evaluate where they stand on policies and how to present them to the average voter.
Running Harris again or any far-left candidate would be disastrous, so the party will likely turn towards more moderate or charismatic figures. Someone like Governor Josh Shapiro or Senator Mark Kelly would be a solid choice.
Regardless of the future, one thing is certain: this unprecedented campaign had an unprecedented ending with major ramifications for both major parties for years to come.