We’ve been right here earlier than, however this time it hits totally different.
In 2016, individuals had been dazzled by Donald Trump, and he ran up towards an excellent however unpopular candidate.
In 2020, Trump barely misplaced, however hey, incumbency has its benefits.
And right here we’re, with individuals understanding full nicely who and what Trump is, and so they nonetheless voted for him in massive numbers.
Vice President Kamala Harris was not a flawed candidate. She was close to spotless. And she or he was objectively extra well-liked than Trump. (Exit polling exhibits Trump’s favorability at 44/54, with Harris at 48/51.)
And we did what we wanted to do.
And it was nonetheless not sufficient. All the cash on the earth, all of the door-knocking on the earth—none of that would overcome the fact that extra individuals had been satisfied that Trump was the higher selection.
This loss is much past any inside petty get together debates equivalent to “Harris should’ve picked Josh Shapiro” or “She should’ve done more on Gaza,” or no matter different squabble we could have had. This loss was exterior the margin of any Harris marketing campaign determination.
So as soon as once more, we grieve for our nation, as a result of it’s extra damaged than we ever feared. After which we work out what to do.
How can we get again Latino males, who swung arduous towards Trump?
How can we get via to white girls, who caught with Trump for a 3rd election in a row?
How can we arrest creeping fascism amongst younger males?
Now we have inside issues we have to handle, too many allies demanding allegiance to points with little well-liked help.
We have to lastly study as a motion that The New York Occasions and different mainstream shops are usually not “liberal,” and that we have to replicate the precise’s far-ranging media ecosystem.
We have to rebuild. However even on this dejected, demoralized place I at the moment inhabit, I can see that higher future. Now we have been examined, and we’ve discovered methods to succeed as a result of we imagine in one another and our fellow People, even those who selected flawed on this election. That’s what drives us.
There’s little doubt Trump is about to make issues dangerous. He’s promised it, as has Elon Musk. If Republicans don’t speak Trump out of his tariffs, costs are going to skyrocket, and Democrats can have an opportunity to do what normally occurs throughout midterms, and claw again Republican positive factors.
However we have to aspire for greater than that. We have to have a look at how we construct a motion that may truly climate the worst Republicans can throw at us.
And actually? That begins with us listening to these we disagree with, with open hearts and curiosity. After which we have to hear what they don’t inform us, what’s actually driving them. And sure, a few of them are hopeless racists and misogynists, and nothing we do would change that. We’re not speaking about their 30% fringe. However the different 20%? They aren’t misplaced.
Let’s discover them and convey them residence.
